Things just took a SHOCKING turn… – HUGE Utah Mammoth update
Things just took a shocking turn for the Utah Mammoth as an NHL insider reveals where Bill Armstrong and a young promising forward currently stand in contract talks heading into next season and the AAV might come in at a surprising rate to fans. We’re going to break down this with also multiple Mammoth updates going into the season. We have so much to break down in this episode. You’re not going to want to miss it. But before we get into that, I just want to give a huge shout out to everyone watching. If you’re part of the 76.7% watching this and you haven’t hit the sub button yet, but you want to stay up to date on everything to do around the NHL, make sure to go down and hit that free subscribe bunch button. It helps a bunch. And in return, we’ll give you daily updates from around the league. Well, that Darius, let’s just hop straight into today where we do know Utah went out to make a lot of moves. They did a name change. they acquire new players. But the big thing circulating the team at the moment is Logan Kulie who’s heading into the final year of his ELC. Now with Logan Koulie, one of the franchise faces for this team moving forward and we do get a report coming out from David Pegnota of the fourth period and he says according to league sources, Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong and Koulie’s camp spoke a few times over the summer, but actual contract negotiations are being placed on the back burner to allow the 21-year-old to focus on the season. Now, there’s a lot of pros and cons to this. You can wait out the season and you’re not in a rush. He is an RFA at the end of this, but if you’re going in with Logan Kohley having a mammoth of a season, no pun intended, this could make the dollar value go up so much more after the young Ford made a huge jump coming from Arizona putting up 44 points, staying with Arizona, but now in Utah putting up 65 points. What is your thoughts on them waiting on this? And do you think it could kind of burn them in the long run? I think it makes sense for a lot of players right now because this is going to be his first big contract and the salary cap is going up a lot over the course of the next couple seasons and agents are very privy to this stuff. So obviously they’re going to want probably a shorter term deal with a lot of money and that’s exactly the way that everyone is going at this point. So I think it could make some sense to wait. But on the other side of things, this is a team that doesn’t have too much of a clear direction like they did in Arizona. I think they’re heading in a better direction. They have a new home. Obviously they’re in Utah. They’re there to say to stay the owner is ecstatic as well that the team is there. So, they’re heading in the right direction. But I think for Logan Coulie is like, you know, I want to be on a competitive team. I know what I’m worth and I want to make that money. And I do wonder if, you know, letting him focus on the season. If he has a great season, then it gets to the point at the end of the year where it’s like, all right, we’re not a playoff team again. I think things could get interesting. Of course, he’s not a UFA and he’s not going to walk or anything like that. He is an RFA. Uh, but I think things could get very interesting. So again, he’s a biggerish body, about 6′ tall. He’s a great young talent in this league. He had a great season last year, like you highlighted, 65 points in 75 games, almost a point a game player. Took a massive step forward from his rookie season as well. So he’s a pretty established player to me at 21 years old already in the NHL. Like he is going to be a great player, a point a game player in this league as he continues to develop and get better. And he should be a cornerstone uh of this franchise. So I think they should start to look to lock him up. I know that they don’t want it to be a distraction. They want him to play out the final year of his contract, which would make some sense, right? Like at the end of the season, if he has a great season, then he can sit down and say, “I want X amount.” And that could make sense for the player, too. But I think not having a contract is also a distraction to a degree. Again, it’s not the same because he’s not a UFA. But this guy should be locked up. If you’re the Utah Mammoth, this guy should be locked up and should be a big piece of your future. And I think the big thing is looking at Scos and shout out to them as well. They have him projected at a 6-year $8.2 million deal with the cap going up. This would be an absolute steal having him locked up on telly’s 28 or 29 years old on a contract that’s going to look incredible as it ages. But I do think a lot of players and agents are going to start leaning into these bridge deals. Get him a two or three year deal at 6 million per year. Then you sign another four-year contract. Then you continue going making and maximizing your money. But locking up Kulie is going to be a big part. Now they’re in a great spot. They made great moves, which we’re going to highlight, but they still do have money to spend if they want to go out and compete, make a push, make it to the playoffs. We know 7.8 million, and when you get closer to deadline, you’re using about 35 million of deadline caps. We have to go out and acquire some players, but the big thing is they’re clearing up even more room. Now, we’re recording this before the Connor Ingram stuff does come out, but you’re losing a goalender, which does clear up just roughly 2 million when he gets claimed cuz let’s be honest here. There is a very strong chance and if not, maybe a trade is on the horizon. But the big thing, Darius, with this Utah team, we’re going to go over the lines and everything in between. But what is your overall thoughts on them going into this year? They’ll have about 9 to 10 million to spend before deadline, but could you see this team being a buyer heading into trade deadline this year? It’s possible, but it has to come from the room. The team has to be good enough to almost look like they’re going to make the playoffs again. They didn’t last year. And they are still feeling the effects of previous ownership and being in Arizona and the team not being run that well. Let’s be honest, right? Uh or maybe not being allowed to be run that well because there is still some of the same management. But now they have a new name. They’re heading into this year. I do wonder if a couple of the guys, you know, band, not a couple of guys, but the team that kind of bands together here finally and, you know, does something. They have some really good pieces on this team. team. I’m a big fan of Shawn Dery. I think Mikuel Sergeev is one of the best defenseman in the league. They trust traded for and a lot of people tend to forget JJ Purka, right? He’s should be playing on the top line. He’s one of the best young players in the entire league and I think he’s going to put up some really good numbers in Utah. So, I think they’re going to take a significant step forward this year. Is that going to propel them into the playoffs? I’m not sure, but they’re going to have some cap space to work with. They’ll have tons of cap space to work with in the offseason as well with the cap going up next summer. So, and every summer after that. So, I’m not too worried about this team. I think they’re headed in the right direction, per se. They do have to show it, and it has to be the guys in the room already that, you know, get them there. Uh, but they are trending in the right direction. The Ingram thing, I think, is very interesting because Carter Hart was actually rumored to be going to Utah. It was It was one of the teams. It seems like that’s kind of died down a bit and it seems like Vegas has become the front runner. Uh, do with that information what you will, of course. But, you know, Connor Ingram being sent down. We are recording this like you said before this comes down. So it could free up $2 million. We’re not sure. I would imagine he gets claimed. I don’t know how you feel about that Mark, but I would imagine a goalender like Ingram would get claimed. I don’t think he’s going to make it through the entire league, especially, you know, before the season starts if it was in season. Could be a different story. But um again, I I see him getting claimed. So they’re going to free up some cap there. And it will be very interesting to see what the goalender situation looks like and the rest of the team. But I think the answer is in the room for this team. But could they be buyers? I think they could be interested in it if everything goes well. They have a lot of really good pieces throughout the lineup. And I think going back to the Connor Ingram thing, I can’t see them go unclaimed throughout this. We know the Edmonton Oilers are desperately looking for goalenders in every sense they can. So if Conor Ingram does make it to the 31st team, which would be them, there is a world where we do see him claimed by the Edmonton Oilers as they try to reshape that and keep Conor McDavid on the team. But the big thing with the Utah club or Mammoth, sorry, is they have a lot of their core locked up. Yes, you have some names that you need to sign. You have a guy like Kurfoot that does need extension at the end of the year, but a lot of the guys they have locked up is a part of their core. You can work to the defense as well. But there is the big thing I look with this Utah team is they’re going to go out and be active. If they’re a team on the cusps about making the playoffs, if they’re a wild card team, a team that wants to achieve a lot, I think there’s a world where we see them go out and make a big move. They have the money to do it. They have more money coming through the system. We know the cap is going up by a bunch. Utah’s in the perfect position to make some noise and surprise a lot of people. But fans of Utah, fans of any other team watching this, what is your thoughts? Do you think Utah makes the playoffs? Do they break the Arizona Coyotes curse? Do they go out and acquire a new player? How much do you think signs for? Let us all know down in the comments. While you’re down there, leave a like, subscribe, share this with your friends. We’re back in another episode, so keep your eye for that. But I’ve been your host Mark with my co-host ears and take
0:00 Utah Mammoth News
0:45 Insider reavals contract details
5:08 This is huge
NHL insiders reveal where the Utah Mammoth and Bill Armstrong currently stand with Logan Cooley heading into the final year of his ELC and his new contract set to kick in next season, while we look at the recent additions to the the roster in JJ Peterka. Mark Pye and Darius Domingues break down all this and more on this episode of Hat Trick HQ.
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