Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Logan Cooley

Evening Notes: Lycksell, Cooley, Zamula

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Ottawa Senators assigned forward Olle Lycksell to the AHL’s Belleville Senators early on Friday. Lycksell appeared in two games with Ottawa this week, but sat out of the team’s most recent game on Thursday. He didn’t manage any scoring in those appearances.

Lycksell is in his first year in the Senators’ organization after signing a one-year, two-way, league-minimum $775K contract with the club on July 1st. He spent the last three seasons bouncing between the Philadelphia Flyers’ major and minor league rosters. He totaled 11 points in 45 NHL games, and 128 points in 134 AHL games with the Flyers. He’ll look to maintain near point-per-game scoring in the minors with Belleville. If he can, he could soon return to a depth role with Ottawa.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Utah Mammoth have a colossal extension looming when top center Logan Cooley hits free agency next summer. But despite minimal talks of an extension, Cooley’s agent, Brian Bartlett, told the Daily Faceoff that he’s not worried about getting a deal done. Bartlett emphasized that Cooley still has plenty of time to work something out. There’s no doubt Mammoth fan will be watching closely for Cooley’s next contract, after he posted 109 points in 157 games with the club over his first two seasons in the NHL. He’s likely to sign a hardy extension that should cement his spot as Utah’s top center.
  • The Calgary Flames are interested in acquiring a big-bodied, left-shot defenseman per Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, who adds that Flyers defender Egor Zamula could be a prime target. Zamula played in 120 games with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen before beginning his pro career. Now, he’s found himself on the outside of Philadelphia’s daily lineup, despite mixed results. Zamula boasts a career stat line of 40 points in 157 games. He posted a career-high 21 points and plus-three in 66 games of the 2023-24 season, but fell to just 15 points and a minus-14 in 63 games last year. That dip in scoring could make him a relatively cheap acquisition, should Calgary swing a trade.

Logan Cooley’s Camp Reportedly Rejects Eight-Year, $77MM Offer

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Utah Mammoth are struggling to extend their top center. According to insider Frank Seravalli, Logan Cooley and his representation turned down an eight-year, $77MM ($9.6MM AAV) contract extension offer from the Mammoth this offseason.

It’s an interesting development considering a $9.6MM AAV would make Cooley the highest-paid forward on the team by more than $2MM margin, and the highest-paid player on the team by over $1MM. Still, given his career trajectory up to this point, there’s no question why Cooley would want to wait for a larger offer.

As the third overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high for Cooley coming into his rookie campaign. Then, with the Arizona Coyotes, Cooley scored 20 goals and 44 points in 82 games, averaging 15:49 of ice time per night with a 38.0% success rate in the faceoff dot. He did finish with a slightly disappointing 47.9% CorsiFor% at even strength, but his defensive metrics were good with a 90.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Much of his defensive poise at such a young age can be attributed to his time at the University of Minnesota, which put together one of the best collegiate rosters of all time during the 2022-23 season. All in all, although he slipped to fifth in Calder Trophy voting, Cooley’s rookie season was largely considered a success.

Fortunately, Cooley completely avoided the dreaded ’sophomore slump’ in 2024-25. Showing off much more playmaking ability, he finished with 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games — good for second on the team in scoring. Much of that can be attributed to his bump in ice time, jumping to 17:52 on average while centering the first line.

His underlying metrics were more mixed, as his CorsiFor% took a step forward, while his on-ice save percentage took a step back. Still, even at 20 years old, Cooley proved he could shoulder first-line minutes at the center position on a relatively competitive team.

Unfortunately, even if Cooley takes another leap in his on-ice production, he doesn’t have much bargaining power if he waits until next summer. Given that he’ll become a 10.2(c) restricted free agent, he’s ineligible for an offer sheet from an opposing team. Still, given that New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes was in a similar boat and landed a $9MM salary for the next seven years, Cooley may have an opportunity to become the first $10MM player in franchise history for the Mammoth.

Utah has plenty of financial flexibility moving forward, largely due to the shrewd extension of JJ Peterka and Dylan Guenther. At any rate, although he has reportedly rejected their most recent offer, the news indicates that the Mammoth are more than willing to invest in Cooley and retain him for the foreseeable future.

West Notes: Kempe, Cooley, Stars

at CDT | by 1 Comment

While Kings forward Adrian Kempe made it known that his desire was to get a contract extension in place before the start of the season, it’s not looking like it will happen.  Part of the reason for that might be the comparable his camp is using.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (video link) that Toronto’s William Nylander is believed to be one of the comparables that Kempe’s camp is using.  Nylander is in the second season of an eight-year, $92MM contract and has reached the 80-point mark in four straight years, including a 97-point effort in 2023-24.  Meanwhile, Kempe has yet to reach that plateau although he has topped 70 the last two seasons.  The difference, of course, is the much different salary cap environment now compared to when Nylander’s deal was signed but it’s not surprising that Los Angeles GM Ken Holland would be resistant to make an offer around that price point.

More from out West:

  • While Logan Cooley won’t play in Utah’s preseason finale tonight, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports relays (Twitter link) that the team has a good feeling that he’ll be ready to go for their season opener next week. The 21-year-old was injured earlier this preseason against Colorado.  Cooley took a big step forward last season, going from 44 points in his rookie year to 65 in his sophomore campaign.  It’s fair to say that the Mammoth hope that he will take another step in the right direction this season, the final year of his entry-level deal.
  • The Stars are currently locked into a lease to play at American Airlines Center in Dallas through the 2030-31 season but it appears that they’re already looking ahead. Eric Fisher and Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports report that the organization is looking at Plano as a possible destination to build a new arena.  Arlington is also believed to be in consideration as well.  At this point, the team hasn’t ruled out staying where they are either but with these projects often taking a long time to put together, it’s not surprising that they’re already looking into their options despite having six years left on their current agreement.

Mammoth Notes: AHL Franchise, Peterka, Cooley, McBain

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports that Utah Mammoth owner Ryan Smith has discussed bringing an AHL team to Utah; however, it is likely years away. In the process, Smith said he and Smith Entertainment Group have considered the best locations in Utah for the franchise, and that somewhere “up north” stands out; perhaps Salt Lake City or St. George. 

With the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies (West Valley City) reaching 20 years in the state, the prospect of Utah continuing to grow the game with an additional professional team is an exciting concept. Hypothetically, they would join an exclusive club (California, New York, and Pennsylvania) as the only states to hold a team in all three of the top North American hockey leagues. 

Such news may raise a few eyebrows of those within the Tucson Roadrunners, the Mammoth’s current AHL affiliate, but only time will tell what the future may hold. 

AHL or not, Smith has his eyes on growing the game in Utah, akin to markets such as Dallas, Nashville, and Vegas, which have become youth hockey hotbeds after the NHL came to town. Bagley added that Smith’s offer to help build more rinks in Utah has been well received, as he says he has heard from 20 different communities that have shown interest. 

Finally, Bagley provided injury updates for the club as they wind up for their second season. Key offseason acquisition JJ Peterka returned to the ice today, per Bagley, having missed Saturday’s practice. The 23-year-old looks to build off a 68-point campaign in Buffalo last year and star for the Mammoth. 

Logan Cooley and Jack McBain remain sidelined, Head Coach Andre Tourigny told Bagley. Neither is expected out long term, but they will not play tomorrow vs the Kings.

Logan Cooley Among Four Mammoth Facing Injury Updates

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Utah Mammoth issued a string of injury updates on Monday morning, after playing through their first preseason game against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. All injury updates come courtesy of Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. Most notably, top center Logan Cooley was designated as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury sustained on a check from behind from Avalanche winger Zakhar Bardakov. Cooley left the ice after the hit, while teammate Lawson Crouse stepped in to fight Bardakov.

In addition to Cooley, forwards Jack McBain and Barrett Hayton have also been dubbed day-to-day with undisclosed injuries. Finally, defenseman Nate Schmidt is expected to be back in the lineup after being previously designated as day-to-day due to maintenance.

Much like the list of injuries, their ramification on Utah’s daily lineup will be a lot to take in. Cooley is set to return to the team’s top-line center role when the regular season kicks off – a spot he cemented with a fantastic 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games last season. He continued the all-star performance into the summer, netting 12 points in 10 games at the World Championship, tying him with Frank Nazar for the scoring lead on a USA squad that went on to win the tournament. Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny told the media, including Bagley, that he didn’t appreciate the blindside hit on Cooley in the preseason opener – and that he’s hoping Cooley’s absence is “really short”.

Those same hopes will be extended to McBain and Hayton, who seem well-set to fill the two center positions behind Cooley. Few details have emerged about either injury, though both players will be worth close attention from the Mammoth faithful. Both set career-highs in scoring while appearing in all 82 games of last season. For Hayton, that was marked by 20 goals and 46 points on the year, while McBain posted 13 goals and 27 points. With no indication otherwise, they should be set to return to camp activities within the week – though missing potentially all three of the lineup’s top centers will be a tough blow even in the short-term.

Utah will find their silver lining through the return of bulky defender Schmidt, who will make his debut with the Mammoth in his next game. He filled a bottom-pair role, and won the Stanley Cup, with the Florida Panthers last season. En route, Schmidt was able to rack up 19 points in 80 regular season games and 12 points in 23 playoff games. He’ll hope to bring his spark from the postseason straight to his new role with the Mammoth. If he can do that, Schmidt could find a way to usurp Ian Cole as the team’s second-pair left-defenseman. If not, he’ll face firm competition for a lineup role from rookie Dmitri Simashev, who scored six points in 56 KHL games last season.

Mammoth Notes: Cooley, O’Brien, Injury Updates

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Utah Mammoth didn’t make the playoffs in their first season in Salt Lake City, but they did take meaningful steps closer to contention, and perhaps their most important step forward was through the development of 2022 third overall pick Logan Cooley. Today, Utah general manager Bill Armstrong told the media, including The Deseret News’ Brogan Houston, that Cooley’s representation has been “very patient” regarding Cooley’s next contract. He added that there’s no rush to get an extension done.

Cooley, who is repped by Brian & Scott Bartlett of Bartlett Hockey, is in line for a major contract extension after a breakout 2024-25 campaign. The 21-year-old is a dynamic playmaker and ranked second among Utah players in scoring last season with 25 goals and 65 points. Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky, who was drafted two spots ahead of Cooley at the 2022 draft, received a $7.6MM AAV on his long-term second contract. Given Cooley will be signing his extension at a later stage than Slafkovsky, and will have more experience on his resume at the time of signing, it stands to reason that Cooley’s next deal will exceed Slafkovsky’s. Given his age and production, Cooley could very well see his next deal exceed Mikhail Sergachev’s $8.5MM AAV to become the highest-paid player in Utah.

Some other notes from the NHL’s newest franchise:

  • Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny told the media today that veteran forward Liam O’Brien is currently dealing with a lower-body injury, and is out on a week-to-week timeline. Injuries limited the 31-year-old bruiser to just 28 games played last season, and he also only managed two points. Although it’s not a contract year for O’Brien – his $1MM AAV deal runs through 2026-27 – he’ll look to get back on the ice in order to re-establish himself as one of the league’s more physically imposing bottom-six players.
  • Alongside O’Brien, Tourigny also established who the club’s other injured players are for the start of the team’s training camp. Tourigny named Anson Thornton, Juuso Valimaki, Caleb Desnoyers and Terrell Goldsmith as the remaining injured players. The most relevant name from that list from a roster-building perspective is Valimaki’s, as he is a veteran of 271 career NHL games. With that said, Mammoth fans are likely to pay close attention to the status of Desnoyers, the 2025 fourth-overall pick.

Snapshots: Cooley, Murray, Mastrodonato

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With max-term contracts for re-signings set to shrink from eight years to seven next year, some feel teams will look to push to get their players signed this summer to guarantee that eighth season.  Among those eligible to sign now is Mammoth center Logan Cooley, a player Utah would undoubtedly like to lock up, especially with GM Bill Armstrong favoring long-term deals for core pieces as soon as possible.  However, Brogan Houston of the Deseret News recently argued that it’s not in Cooley’s best interest for him to extend now.  Given his stature as a young potential top-line center, he’d have to have a disastrous season to really tank his value compared to what it might be now while with the rising cap, it might be better for him to wait until next summer when the maximum term drops, allowing him to reach unrestricted free agency a year sooner.  AFP Analytics pegged a potential long-term extension for Cooley this summer to come in around seven years at around $9.5MM.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Winger Brett Murray has been with the Sabres for the better part of a decade after he was drafted by them back in 2016. However, now that he’s on the open market, he’ll be looking for a new team as his agent Dave Gagner told Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that the organization has informed Murray that they won’t be offering a contract to him.  The 27-year-old played in three games with Buffalo last season and has 26 appearances at the top level under his belt.  Murray spent most of last year with AHL Rochester where he had 27 goals and 22 assists in 66 games.  However, he now qualifies as a veteran under AHL roster rules which has likely limited his marketability so far.
  • The Kings have added some extra minor-league depth as their AHL affiliate in Ontario announced the signing of forward Keaton Mastrodonato to a one-year deal. The 24-year-old has two full professional seasons under his belt, split between the AHL and ECHL levels.  Last season, Mastrodonato was held off the scoresheet in the 13 games with AHL Colorado but was quite productive with ECHL Utah, tallying 19 goals and 30 assists in 53 outings with the Grizzlies.

Mammoth Begin Extension Talks With Logan Cooley

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Utah Mammoth have begun discussing a contract extension with top young center Logan Cooley, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports. Cooley has one more year remaining on the three-year, $2.85MM entry-level contract he signed in July of 2023. His $950K cap hit makes him the cheapest forward currently signed to Utah’s roster.

Cooley has a true breakout season this year. He took full reigns over Utah’s top-line center role and reached an impressive 25 goals and 40 assists in 75 games. He became just the 13th player since 2000 to reach 25 goals and 65 points in a single season before their 22nd birthday. The last players to reach that mark were Wyatt Johnston (65 points in 2023-24), Tim Stutzle (90 points in 2022-23), and Connor McDavid (106 points in 2017-18).

Cooley has reached a high shelf early into his hockey career. Even his rookie year set franchise headlines, with 20 goals and 44 points last season making him the fourth-highest scoring rookie in Arizona Coyotes club history. He matched the scoring totals of a rookie Anthony Duclair with those marks. That season came on the heels of a stellar freshman year at the University of Minnesota, where Cooley scored 22 goals and 60 points in just 39 games.

Just two years in, and before the age of 22, it’s already clear that the 2022 third-overall pick can stand up to major minutes in Utah. The team has gone as far as keeping Cooley top of mind in their draft day approaches – drafting impactful two-way center Caleb Desnoyers in the top 10 last weekend to compliment Cooley’s downhill offensive drive.

With so much attention around embedding Cooley into the future plans, he’ll likely be the topmost priority for the Mammoth between this summer and next. They boast nearly $11MM in projected cap space this summer, and should have just as much room with Nick Schmaltz, Alexander Kerfoot, and Ian Cole set to come off the books next year. Cooley seems set for a major year this season – and could rack up more-and-more of a payday with a hot performance. His baseline for a new deal will likely be the eight-year, $66.8MM deal that Ottawa signed Stutzle to in 2022. That deal carries an annual average value of $8.35MM. But with the rise in cap ceiling in the last few years, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cooley settle in closer to $9MM.

Getting Cooley settled to a long-term contract will go a long way towards pulling Utah into their future. They have a strong youth presence beginning to break into the top flight, with Cooley backed by Dylan Guenther, JJ Peterka, Tij Iginla, Daniil But, and Desnoyers. That group, and their company on top of the Mammoth prospect chart, will look to push the club into a new generation following looming separations with many top veterans. Cooley will be the leader of the bunch, and likely push forward as Utah’s top-line center of the future.

Photo courtesy of Rob Gray-Imagn Images.

Central Notes: Cooley, Kaprizov, Mayich

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Utah will be eligible to sign center Logan Cooley to a contract extension as of July 1st as he’ll be entering the final year of his entry-level contract at that time.  Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune posits that the five-year, $42MM contract extension Dallas gave to Wyatt Johnston could be a comparable used in negotiations while the team might point to the eight-year, $57.14MM deal they gave Dylan Guenther as a starting point.  After recording 44 points in his rookie year, Cooley put up 25 goals and 40 assists in 75 games this season in a little under 18 minutes a night of playing time.  It’s likely both sides feel he has another level offensively to get to as well which would be factored into any new deal.  Between his draft status (third overall in 2022), the fact that he plays a premium position, and the big jumps coming to the salary cap, it wouldn’t be shocking to see an extension for Cooley push past the $9MM mark this summer.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • The Wild will be eligible to sign star winger Kirill Kaprizov to an extension as of July 1st and owner Craig Leipold has previously said they’ll pay whatever is necessary to keep him. But as John Shipley of the Pioneer Press notes, that alone might not be enough.  Kaprizov is in line for what will be a record-setting contract handed out to a winger and he can get that from Minnesota and likely several other teams if he was to get to unrestricted free agency.  Given that the Wild have yet to have much playoff success – they’ve lost in eight straight first rounds in ten years, the first team of the four major North American sports leagues to have that happen to them – it’s possible that Kaprizov might want to see what other opportunities await him and if there’s a better chance to play for a contending squad.  On the other hand, the Wild have much more cap flexibility to play with this summer and will surely be looking to try to make their roster look more like a contender.
  • Blues prospect Matthew Mayich will play at Clarkson University next season, the school announced (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a sixth-round pick back in 2023, going 170th overall.  Mayich spent his four-year OHL career with Ottawa and saved his best performance for last, tallying 42 points in 66 games this season.  Louis originally was supposed to have his rights only through June 1st but with the change to allow CHL players to have NCAA eligibility, it remains unclear if that will affect signing timelines for players in that situation.

Team USA Announces 2025 World Championship Roster

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Team USA has announced the first 18 players on their World Championship roster. The lineup contains all three goaltenders, six of seven defensemen, and nine of 13 forwards. The roster is led by American stars like Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, and Brady Skjei. That trio will look to take a mixed group of experience to Team USA’s first gold medal appearance since 1960.

The American roster notably features top young players like Frank Nazar, Mason Lohrei, Cutter Gauthier, Logan Cooley, Jackson LaCombe, and Matty Beniers. Beniers offers the most experience on the Men’s Team, having joined USA at the 2021 World Championship and 2022 Winter Olympics. He scored two points in each tournament. Team USA will also continue their trend of bringing collegiate goaltending by adding Los Angeles Kings prospect Hampton Slukynsky to the roster. Slukynsky led the Fargo Force to a USHL championship last season, then won Western Michigan’s starting role and carried the school to their first NCAA National Championship as a freshman this season.

Team USA will still need to add four forwards and one defenseman. The World Championship will run from May 9th to May 25th in Herning, Denmark – giving the Americans a chance to add some more firepower after playoff exits. Jeff Kealty is serving as USA’s general manager, while San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky heads a coaching staff that also features Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Mike Vellucci, Chciago Blackhawks assistant Kevin Dean, and Michigan State University head coach Adam Nightingale.

The current roster is as follows:

F Tage Thompson (Sabres)
F Drew O’Connor (Canucks)
F Frank Nazar (Blackhawks)
F Michael McCarron (Predators)
F Clayton Keller (Hockey Club)
F Cutter Gauther (Ducks)
F Conor Garland (Canucks)
F Logan Cooley (Hockey Club)
F Matty Beniers (Kraken)

D Alex Vlasic (Blackhawks)
D Brady Skjei (Predators)
D Andrew Peeke (Bruins)
D Mason Lohrei (Bruins)
D Jackson LaCombe (Ducks)
D Michael Kesselring (Hockey Club)

G Joey Daccord (Kraken)
G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)
G Hampton Slukynsky (Kings)

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top