Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they need to be 25 or under, have played under 15 games in the past season or have not spent significant time in the NHL as a whole over a three-year period.

Today, we’re breaking down the Utah Mammoth.

The future looks bright in Utah.

After the team relocated from Arizona last summer, all the hard work that GM Bill Armstrong and company had put together was starting to finally come to fruition. They’ve drafted well in the last couple of years, and while they might not have the deepest pipeline, they have enough impact players worth getting excited about.

Utah doesn’t have one of the deeper pipelines in the NHL, but its higher-end prospects should be true difference-makers. There are teams with pipelines I like a lot more, but I feel confident that the top eight listed below should become impactful NHLers – that’s a high batting rate, no matter which team you are.

It might still be a few years until the Mammoth are serious Stanley Cup contenders. I’m not sure they’re remotely close. However, if you’re focused on the future, you have to appreciate the group Armstrong has managed to assemble.

Biggest Strength

This scouting department loves its big dudes, man. Maybe that’s why the team selected Mammoth as their team name. They have so many big forwards, defenders, and even a massive goaltender to choose from. You look at all the success that the Florida Panthers have had in recent years, and you can point out how many big and tough players they have in their system. While Utah’s top six might be on the smaller side, the fact that they have so many players standing 6-foot-3 or taller ready to go in the next few years should make them a difficult team to deal with.

Biggest Weakness

I don’t really like the wing depth on this team. Tij Iginla is excellent, but has expressed interest in playing more down the middle. Daniil But and Julian Lutz are both solid, but I don’t think either will be big point drivers. Beyond that, I don’t feel too confident anywhere else in the pipeline. Even the center depth is nothing to get too excited about beyond Caleb Desnoyers and Cole Beaudoin.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Bill Armstrong
Dir. of Player Development: Lee Stempniak
AHL Affiliate: Tucson Roadrunners
ECHL Affiliate: Allen Americans

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Caleb Desnoyers, C, 18 (Moncton WildCats, QMJHL)

Acquired: Drafted fourth overall, first round in 2025

Desnoyers is a safe bet to become a two-way, top-six forward. I like his physical play, mostly because he doesn’t let anyone push him around. I think he’s a great playmaker and he was one of the smarter centers in the 2025 NHL Draft. Desnoyers might not be the flashiest, but at the very least, but he does so many intelligent things with the puck every night. Desnoyers is a guy you can win with, having done so at various international tournaments and in the 2025 QMJHL final. Desnoyers dealt with injuries this past year but it didn’t seem to hurt his numbers. We’ll see if he ends up heading to the NCAA in 2025-26 (it could happen).

2. Tij Iginla, LW, 19 (Kelowna Rockets, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted sixth overall, first round in 2024

Iginla required hip surgery in December, knocking him out of the season half of the WHL season. That doesn’t take away from what was an otherwise impressive season from the forward, who had 32 points in 21 games. So much of Iginla’s success comes down to his shot. He puts significant volume on net, but he’s always looking for opportunities to use space to his advantage. Iginla has a quick, deceptive release while creating his own time and space – a mark of a real game-changer. He’s not a follower; he makes his own luck. Look for Iginla to have another big year in the WHL, and he’ll definitely be on Canada’s radar for the World Juniors.

3. Dmitri Simashev, LHD, 20 (Tucson Roadrunners, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted sixth overall, first round in 2023

*Dmitri Simashev (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)*

Simashev is a big, 6-foot-5 defender who should have no issue making his presence known in North America. His numbers might not pop off a page, but he uses his size to dominate the defensive zone without getting himself in trouble. Simashev can move the puck, land big hits and play on the penalty kill – something I expect him to do in the NHL. For now, expect Simashev to start the year in Tucson to get himself up to speed in North America, but I’d be surprised if he isn’t contending for NHL ice time by Christmas. There’s absolutely top-four potential here.

4. Daniil But, LW, 20 (Tucson Roadrunners, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 12th overall, first round in 2023

Don’t be surprised if But is in the NHL come October. The 20-year-old put up a decent 28 points during the KHL regular season, establishing himself as a reliable two-way power forward. He’s absolutely massive at 6-foot-6, and while he hasn’t scored a ton of goals during his pro career, he can absolutely send missiles past goaltenders. If I were in charge, I’d want him to start in the AHL to learn how to handle the pace, but he thrives in tight-area situations, which makes me think he’ll be a good NHLer.

5. Maveric Lamoureux, RHD, 21 (Tucson Roadrunners, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 29th overall, first round in 2022

While he didn’t play a full season, it was the first time he skated in over 30 regular season games since the 2021-22 season. Lamoureux looked good against AHL competition and even skated in 15 NHL games, registering three points. He’s a no-nonsense defender who uses all of his 6-foot-7 frame to knock down just about everyone on the ice, and he’s still quite mobile. I doubt he’ll be an AHLer come 2026-27 – he isn’t far from being NHL-ready. At this point, he just needs to stay healthy.

6. Michael Hrabal, G, 20 (UMass, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 38th overall, second round in 2023

*Michael Hrabal (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

I’ve had my concerns about Hrabal’s consistency in the past, but I feel much better about him after this past year in college. Between his more consistent play at the World Juniors, his improved coverage down low and his great numbers at UMass, Hrabal is coming off an excellent season as a 19-year-old. Now, headed back to Massachusetts for a third year, the focus will likely be on refining his movements, his speed and not having to rely on his frame to make big stops. Regardless, I still see him as a future NHLer, and he might become the first true star goalie in Utah’s franchise history.

7. Max Pšenička, RHD, 18 (Portland Winterhawks, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 46th overall, second round in 2025

A move to Portland later last year really helped Pšenička earn the ice time he needed to showcase his true talent. He has a big 6-foot-5 frame, competes hard and is mobile, too. Defensively, he’s above average. Pšenička is great physically and thinks the game at a high level, but I want him to improve his shot selection and offensive awareness. I think, at the very least, we’re talking about a third-pairing defenseman who can push himself higher up the lineup if needed. But he has all the tools already to be a legit NHL prospect – and I’m excited to see how he develops over the next few years.

8. Cole Beaudoin, C, 19 (Barrie Colts, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 24th overall, first round in 2024

Beaudoin is going to be an NHLer. No doubt about it. He’ll never win a skills competition, but his ability to overwhelm defenders with his pure strength and then pot in the odd goal makes him so lethal. Beaudoin is strong, defensively responsible and can play on the penalty kill – making him a perfect candidate for bottom-six duty. I’d like to see him add a bit more urgency in his game but Beaudoin’s work ethic and pure muscle mass will take him far.

9. Will Skahan, LHD, 19 (Boston College, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 65th overall, second round in 2024

*Will Skahan (Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports)*

There’s so much to like about Skahan, a 6-foot-4, 212-pound defenseman. He can get nasty out there, playing an aggressive, in-your-face style that few have figured out how to contain. The Boston College blueliner lacks in the offensive department, which is why he’s down here. I liked him at BC and I think he’ll make USA’s roster at the upcoming World Juniors. If Skahan makes the NHL after turning pro, I expect him to be more of a No. 5/6/7. There’s no rush for him to leave Boston, though.

10. Julian Lutz, LW, 21 (Tucson Roadrunners, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 43rd overall, second round in 2022

It’s not easy going from the USHL to the AHL, and Lutz learned that the hard way in 2024-25. The German forward had just two goals and 13 points in the regular season, although he did play some of his best hockey near the end of the campaign. Ice time was hard to come by, but I like his willingness to get in the way of shots and use his speed to win battles. Lutz likely won’t make it to the NHL in a scoring capacity, but he continued to get better defensively as the season wore on. He’ll need a big campaign to put himself back on the right track but I see some bottom-line energy out of him.

The rest: Miko Matikka, RW (21), Owen Allard, C (21), Gabe Smith, C (19), Sam Lipkin, LW (22), Noel Nordh, LW (20), Stepa Hoch, LW (18), Vojtech Hradec, C (19), Samu Bau, C (21), Jonathan Castagna, C (20), Tanner Ludtke, C (20), Vadim Moroz, RW (21), Ilya Fedotov, LW (22), Maksymilian Szuber, LHD (22), Cal Thomas, LHD (22), Matthew Morden, LHD (21), Veeti Vaisanen, LHD (19), Ludvig Lafton, LHD (19), Ales Cech, LHD (21), Gregor Biber, LHD (19), Reko Alanko, RHD (18), Ludvig Johnson, LHD (19), Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko, G (18), Carsen Musser, G (20), Melker Thelin, G (20), Anson Thornton, G (22)

SPONSORED BY bet365