The NHL never sleeps, and on Wednesday (June 25), Utah Mammoth fans learned that. Late in the evening, the Mammoth made a surprise trade, flipping Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to the Buffalo Sabres for JJ Peterka.
While it was expected that the Mammoth would go big game hunting, more than likely via trade, the assets they gave up were surprising. It was even more surprising that the trade happened before the draft. Nevertheless, general manager Bill Armstrong has made his first big trade of the offseason as the Mammoth gear up for a massive 2025-26 season.
Peterka to the Beehive State
It has been rumored ever since the turn of the new year that the Mammoth would like to have a big offseason. With the team trying to become a playoff team in 2025-26, it was never going to be a big surprise for Armstrong to go out and get a decently big name. The Mammoth needed a lethal top-six scorer, and they got one in Peterka.
Peterka was drafted 34th overall in 2020 by the Sabres. In his first pro season, he recorded 68 points in 70 games with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). The following season, he had 32 points in the NHL. That number creeped up to 28 goals and 50 points in 2023-24. Then, this past season, he had 68 points in 77 games on a struggling Sabres team.
Related: Meet the Newest Mammoths: Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But
If you’re looking for a highly skilled player who doesn’t give up on a play and hunts down pucks like no other, Peterka is the player you want. He disrupts plays like it’s no one’s business and is able to convert those plays into scoring opportunities. He has a wicked wrist shot and isn’t scared to get into the dirty areas. He reads plays well and knows where to go in order to score. Additionally, Peterka is only 23 years old, meaning he fits into the Mammoth’s core pretty well.
“There is a lot of excitement and positive momentum surrounding our team right now, and adding a player of J.J. Peterka’s caliber and offensive upside is another great step towards achieving our objectives as a group,” said Chris Armstrong, president of hockey operations for the Mammoth. “We are excited to welcome J.J. to Utah and know our fans are going to love what he brings.”
JJ Peterka set career highs in assists and points in his third full @NHL season 🔥
🗞️ Read more → https://t.co/PJJvGk49Sr
🎥 Highlights → https://t.co/RBoJ8aNZXW#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/U4FHRUsHB8
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) May 1, 2025
Peterka’s 2024-25 68-point season brought him new career highs in assists, points, power-play goals, and power-play points. The trade to the Mammoth also comes with a five-year, $7.7 million average annual value (AAV) contract. It is the second-highest AAV on the team behind Mikhail Sergachev. It leaves the Mammoth with $14.92 million in cap space. Peterka was a restricted free agent (RFA) entering the offseason and reportedly did not want to sign a long-term deal with the Sabres.
“J.J. is a highly skilled, creative, young forward with extremely high upside,” Bill Armstrong said. “He will help solidify our scoring and add to what is already a great young core of forwards on the roster. Signing J.J. to a long-term extension is another positive step towards building a sustainable contender here in Utah, and today is an exciting day for our entire organization.”
One concern for Peterka is whether he can produce at the rate he did this past season. His shot percentage was up three percent from the 2023-24 season, and he had the highest 5v5 on-ice shooting percentage ever recorded this season at 14.7%. That is bound to regress, but while his offense might go down with it, it shouldn’t decline that much.
The other thing Peterka needs to work on is his defense. While he’s great at forcing turnovers, playing in his own zone was a problem in Buffalo. Then again, the Sabres weren’t known for being amazing defensively this past season. We’ll see how Peterka fits into a better defensive team.
With the addition of Peterka, the Mammoth now have him, Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Barrett Hayton, and Nick Schmaltz making up their top six. That is a lethal group of forwards that could challenge most teams in the Central Division.
JJ Peterka, Buffalo Sabres (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
The trade is yet another big move the Mammoth have pulled off in the past year. Last offseason at the draft, the team traded for Sergachev and John Marino. Now, they bring in another big name to help them chase a playoff appearance and a Stanley Cup.
What Are the Mammoth Losing?
While the addition of Peterka for the Mammoth is great, what they’re giving up might upset some fans. The team is sending two fan favorites the other way, who the Mammoth have grown within their system for a couple of years.
Kesselring is a promising defenseman. He played in all 82 games this season with the Mammoth, recording 29 points. He was an extremely useful player, especially when players like Marino and Sean Durzi were hurt. Kesselring stepped up and played top-pairing minutes and did not look out of place while doing so.
MICHAEL KESSELRING.
OT WINNER! pic.twitter.com/iP0IJIHkDF
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 20, 2024
Kesselring is only 25 years old, so he’ll continue developing into most likely a solid middle pairing option for the Sabres. He’s also extremely mature for his age, which is great for his new team. He was previously acquired by the Arizona Coyotes from the Edmonton Oilers in the Nick Bjugstad trade in 2023.
Doan is the most intriguing piece of the trade for the Sabres. At 23 years old, he’s thrived at almost every level of hockey. With the Arizona State Sun Devils, he was around a point-per-game player in both of his seasons, leading the team in most offensive categories. With the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, he dominated, leading the team in goals in his first full season while making the AHL’s All-Rookie Team.
It’s at the NHL level where he hasn’t quite put it together yet. In his first appearance with the Coyotes, Doan made a memorable debut by recording nine points in 11 games. However, in his first full NHL season with the Mammoth this past season, he had 19 points in 51 games.
JOSH DOAN OMG!!! pic.twitter.com/ItyACNIyKI
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 11, 2024
Doan struggled at first this past season, but after two stints with the Roadrunners, he played better across all three zones. His defensive game got better. Now, it’s about getting the offense in there as well. If he manages to do that, he could be a middle-of-the-lineup guy. At worst, he’s a solid bottom-six option. Doan’s only 23 years old, so he has plenty of time to keep developing.
It’s also worth noting that both Doan and Kesselring are hard workers and were big parts in helping shape the Mammoth’s strong culture. The two were fan favorites for a reason. They are respected a lot in the Mammoth organization, and it’s not easy trading them away. Those traits, however, are much needed by the Sabres as they try to recover from an extremely disappointing season.
“It is never easy to say goodbye to players of the highest character like Michael and Josh,” Chris Armstrong said. “We are certainly grateful for their contributions to our organization and trust their careers will continue to flourish in Buffalo.”
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that Doan and Kesselring will help out the Sabres. The team is in need of a culture change, and the two former Mammoth players will help repair a locker room that seems to be in shambles. With Bowen Byram potentially being on the move as well, the addition of Kesselring certainly helps out the blue line.
Meanwhile, Doan is the biggest wild card in this trade. He could potentially develop into a solid middle-of-the-lineup player. He’s shown flashes of excellence amidst his two NHL seasons. If he can find a way to put it all together, Doan could be a great player for the Sabres. Both players will be RFAs next summer.
Josh Doan, Utah Hockey Club (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
On the other hand, Peterka is exactly what the Mammoth needs. He’s an explosive top player. Paired with someone like Cooley or Keller, both of whom are great playmakers, he could potentially score in bunches for the Mammoth.
Looking at what the Mammoth lost, Peterka will simply take Doan’s spot in the lineup. Meanwhile, the signing of Dmitri Simashev made someone like Kesselring expendable, especially with the team’s belief in the young Russian star making the NHL next season.
The fact that the Mammoth didn’t even need to give up the fourth overall pick, or any other draft picks at that, is big for them and really makes this trade look lopsided. It is surprising that Matias Maccelli wasn’t a part of the trade. The young forward has been on the trade block for a while and is expected to be shipped off sometime this offseason.
It does sound like the Mammoth will still be shopping for a center this offseason, which makes sense, considering their best center behind Cooley is Hayton. Now, they’ll still have Maccelli and the fourth overall pick to try to grab someone that fits their need on the trade block.
The addition of Peterka shows the growth the Mammoth have had in the past couple of years. They’ve reached the point where they can weaponize their picks and prospects to get players who can help them now. A couple of seasons ago, that wasn’t the case. Now, they get a dangerous and promising forward who fits their core perfectly as they continue their climb to a playoff spot and beyond.
