The newly named Utah Mammoth landed the fourth overall selection in the NHL draft, and now they should consider adding an established player to their roster. They are rich in prospects and have more than adequate draft picks to continue building the team. They need NHL-caliber players who can take them to the next level—the playoffs. Here are some suggestions.

Six NHL Players Who The Utah Mammoth Should Consider

Tage Thompson – Thompson must be at the top of the team’s wish list. He stands 6’6″, 220 pounds, and would instantly add size and offensive power to the Utah Mammoth lineup. General manager Bill Armstrong is quite familiar with Thompson. He was the director of amateur scouting in St. Louis in 2016 when the Blues selected Thompson with the 26th overall pick.

Thompson has tallied 176 goals in 448 NHL games. This past season, he lit the lamp 44 times. Even if Buffalo wants more than the fourth pick (and they will), the Utah Mammoth has 11 picks for 2026, including three second-round selections. Thomson’s contract is affordable at just over $7 million through the 2029-30 campaign.

Even if the Sabres wanted a couple of players in exchange for Thompson’s services, it would be a “mammoth” move for the Utah club. Players like Lawson Crouse, who had a terrible year with just 12 goals and six assists, could interest the Sabres. Other players could include Alex Kerfoot, Jack McBain, or Michael Carcone.

If Thompson became available, then the Utah Mammoth should jump at the opportunity.

Jack Eichel – Eichel will be in the last year of his $10 million AAV eight-year contract after the 2025-26 season. He will be 29 years old this October. If Eichel likes playing in Vegas, then Salt Lake City is not far away. The Mammoth will have $22 million in cap space to afford adding Eichel to the roster. He is a deadly scorer who collected 28 goals and 66 assists in 77 games this past season. He no doubt would fit nicely on a line with top Mammoth scorer Clayton Keller, amongst others. Eichel is a top-line player, and if the Utah club wants to advance to the postseason, they could use his talents.

Elias Pettersson – Pettersson had trouble with former teammate J.T. Miller until Miller was finally traded. No doubt that something was bothering Pettersson. In his three previous seasons, he accumulated 32, 39, and 34 goals. This past season, he had just 15 tallies. His hefty contract for $11.6 million through the 2031-32 season may make it difficult to trade him. More than likely, the Utah Mammoth may look elsewhere.

Mathew Barzal – While injuries plagued Barzal, he is still a very talented forward. He was limited to participating in just 30 games this season and had six goals and 14 assists. To demonstrate his potential, he had 23 goals and 57 assists in 80 games during the 2023-24 campaign. Barzal’s contract calls for $9.15 million through 2031-31. He could challenge Barrett Hayton for the second-line center spot.

Timo Meier – The  Herisau, Switzerland native is not a prolific scorer with just 26 goals and 27 assists in 80 games with the New Jersey Devils. He is paid well with an $8.8 million AAV deal through the 2030-31 season. He makes up for his lack of scoring with solid two-way play and physicality. He has averaged 1.72 hits per game in his career.

Marco Rossi – At just 23 years old, Rossi is the youngest player on this list. He is a restricted free agent without a contract at this point. He was being paid $863,334 and deserves a big boost in salary. Rossi tallied 24 goals and 36 assists in 82 games this season. He fits the mold of what type of player GM Bill Armstrong may be interested in adding to his roster.

End Of Utah Mammoth Rant

The Utah Mammoth are very close to being a playoff team. They just need a couple more parts to complete their rebuild. By just adding one of the above-mentioned players, they could move to the top 16 NHL teams who qualify for the postseason.

So, which player does this writer desire to see in a new Utah Mammoth jersey next season? Without a doubt, it must be Tage Thompson. The dude can flat out play! And, the key factor here is that Bill Armstrong knows the player, and that could influence his decision to go after him. Thompson would most definitely add the scoring punch that the Mammoth needs to be a playoff team.