NHL Rumors: Looks like this is the season for Utah Mammoths to take the next step

The Utah Mammoths sit atop the Western Conference. Is it time to get serious and move some money?

daily confrontation: Jeff Marek talks on Daily Faceoff Live about the Utah Mammoths and whether they want to add content. Is it time to start moving some draft picks and adding NHL players?

** Transcribed by NHLRumors.com

Carter Hutton: “I think, and I want to change the subject here, Jeff and I want to make the Utah Mammoths. You had a chance to chat with Bill Armstrong the other day, and again, this is a team that’s at the top of the Central Division and, you know, we think this team, I think everyone, as we’ve predicted in the media world, as we’ve analyzed, we think this is a team that’s going to take a step forward. They’ve taken a step forward with their youth, their talent, their goaltending.

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You know, where do they go from here? Is it the status quo? After you talked to the Army, did they just let these young men do whatever they wanted?

Marek: “I don’t think Bill Armstrong is done for one second. I fully believe that if Aaron Ekblad hits the market, Utah will be one of the teams knocking on his door. I mean, I think we all think Detroit will be on this list as well, but I really doubt Utah will pay him big money, and all of a sudden, your top pairing is Aaron Ekblad and Mikhail Sergachev. It’s the combination of the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning that’s going to be a story.”

But I don’t think, I don’t think Bill Armstrong is done yet. I think now, probably more than ever, he’s focused on, you know, this murderer in the middle ranks. Listen, Dallas is going to be fine. We all know what’s going on in Dallas. Colorado will still be a strong team, as will the Winnipeg Jets.

But I think you know, the Utah Mammoths and Bill Armstrong are looking at the division right now and saying there could be Minnesota. They can’t play five-on-five. The St. Louis Blues may have bigger issues with these two goaltenders, and we saw that against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Specifically, Joel Hofer is really hard to hit.

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So if they’re going to be bailed out, you ask, who’s going to fill that vacuum? Now, the Utah Mammoths are saying, if you’re going to leave all these points on the table, we’re going to gobble them up like Pac-Man. If you want to give up that position, we will take that position.

I don’t think Bill Armstrong was going to sit back and just say, ‘You know what? It’s going to be another development year for (Logan) Cooley and (Dylan) Gunther and Jack McBain and all those guys, I don’t think so. Dmitry Simashev, I don’t think he’s going to see that and say, “Yeah, we’re just going to step back and see where the kids go.”

I think this is going to be a very aggressive general manager and a very aggressive Utah Mammoth team all season long. I don’t think they’re done yet, not at all. you?

Tyler Yaremchuk: “I don’t think they can. Like you look at all the young players they have, not only on their roster, but coming up. And then they have their first-round picks. Somehow, they’ve accumulated three second-round picks in this year’s draft. It’s like, up. They’ve almost gotten to the point, Jeff, it makes no sense to keep all those picks.

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Marek: “You can’t.”

Yaremchuk: “You don’t need more young players.

Marek: “No, you can’t. Last time I checked, it was still 50 contracts. You know, last time I checked, one Stanley Cup had been handed out. They’re only playing one hockey team and you’re only allowed 50 contracts. Like somewhere, yeah, at some point, you have to take the draft capital and say, we’re going to turn it into players.”

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