The Utah Mammoth made a great trade for MacKenzie Weegar to bolster their blue line<\/p>\n
While many were hoping for a bigger splash near the deadline involving the Mammoth, the front office managed to make a valuable trade for a veteran D-man to improve their top four.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a top four D,\u201d Bill Armstrong said of Weegar. \u201cHe can play PP, PK, almost any situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can play a shutdown role. He\u2019s going to be a big asset for us down the stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n
To shed Olli Maatta\u2019s unfavorable contract and trade a prospect near the bottom of their pool with a few second-round picks for an experienced defenseman was an excellent move for a number of different reasons.<\/p>\n
Maatta was being paid too much to sit in the press box, Jonathan Castagna was never going to make an impact for the club, and the value of those picks were better served in a trade as the Mammoth simply have too many prospects to sign.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Utah isn\u2019t looking for rentals.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re not to the point of selling their future to win now.<\/p>\n
Rather, they want players who can grow with their core, help the team reach new heights and allow their high-end prospect\u2019s more time to break into the league.<\/p>\n
Weegar fits that mold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we\u2019re acquiring somebody, we\u2019re looking at age, term of contract, & can they move with the club?\u201d Armstrong explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not at the point where we\u2019re risking it all for rentals. We\u2019re probably a little bit more aggressive\u2026our best team is not here yet. There\u2019s still more young prospects to come in & play. What this does is allow them time to develop & be a competitive club.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, while many may have been hoping for more, this was still a successful deadline for Utah.<\/p>\n
They may not have taken the \u201cbig swing\u201d some were anticipating, but they improved as a squad that\u2019s well on their way to a playoff berth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did a great thing,\u201d Armstrong said after the deadline. \u201cWe added to our group with MacKenzie Weegar in bringing him on board and being able to take that next step as a team and add a really high-quality player that can play in our top four.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sends a message to the group that there\u2019s a belief about our team and where we are going.\u201d<\/p>\n
What happened to Robert Thomas from St. Louis?<\/p>\n
To preface, now that the deadline has officially passed, it\u2019s hard to believe St. Louis ever really intended on trading Robert Thomas.<\/p>\n
Despite multiple reports from national insiders that he was for sale with Utah as a potential suitor, the price for the 26-year-old center was astronomical.<\/p>\n
According to both Frank Seravalli and David Pagnotta, St. Louis wanted a massive haul that included multiple first-round picks and current roster players.<\/p>\n
The primary Mammoth prospect reportedly desired by the Blues?<\/p>\n
Caleb Desnoyers.<\/p>\n
Frank Seravalli: Re Robert Thomas asking price: It\u2019s a massive package, you\u2019re talking about multiple first round picks and current roster players \u2013 Flames Talk (3\/3)<\/p>\n
\u2014 NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Some notes on some of the chatter out there: \u2014 David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Look, there\u2019s no denying that Thomas is a good player but there\u2019s no reason to act like he\u2019s a top 10 all-star center that could make any team a cup contender.<\/p>\n Sure, he\u2019s averaged 77 points over the previous four seasons, has a favorable contract and is only 26 years old.<\/p>\n But we\u2019re not talking about a Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel or Auston Matthews.<\/p>\n So, why pretend he\u2019s worth nearly as much?<\/p>\n If Utah was to trade some combination of Desnoyers with another of their top five prospects (Tij Iginla, Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But, Cole Beaduoin, or Maveric Lamoureux), picks and a collection of current players, the return would have to be closer to one of the aforementioned stars.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes, other clubs make that easy on you because of the simple fact of their ask, what they\u2019re doing, and it would deplete your entire organization and you\u2019re not going to do that.\u201d Armstrong explained.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes the ask for some of the elite players that were available wasn\u2019t even a question that we would do that as an organization because a year from now it wouldn\u2019t make the organization better. Some of the asks made it a lot easier for us to stay disciplined.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, could Thomas be shopped later?<\/p>\n Yes, and to the advantage of buyers as prices almost always come down in the summer.<\/p>\n As I said before, Thomas is a good player.<\/p>\n Might even eventually be a 2C on a Stanley Cup winning team.<\/p>\n But good on Utah for not taking the bait.<\/p>\n They should manage just fine for the rest of the season with their current roster and better to protect those prospects rather than risk their future by overpaying for an overvalued player.<\/p>\n \u201cOur best team is not here yet,\u201d Armstrong explained. \u201cWe had to make sure at the same time that we didn\u2019t give away the future with some of our elite prospects that we\u2019ve drafted over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe accomplished two things in protect the future & at the same time get better as an organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Bill Armstrong feels \u2018comfortable and confident\u2019 that Nick Schmaltz will re-sign with Utah<\/p>\n As I reported last week, I would\u2019ve been shocked to see Nick Schmaltz traded by the Mammoth at the deadline.<\/p>\n Given his performance as of late, his attitude towards the organization and the role he\u2019s played over the past few seasons, Utah would\u2019ve been foolish to sell.<\/p>\n Related: How Will The Utah Mammoth Approach The NHL Trade Deadline? Expectations, Rumors, & Possible Deals<\/a><\/p>\n Additionally, as noted by Bill Armstrong immediately following Friday\u2019s deadline, negotiations are trending positively towards an extension for No. 8 in Utah.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel comfortable & confident that Nick is going to be a Mammoth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s grown up with us\u2026he\u2019s earned my respect\u2026he\u2019s a unique player in the sense that he can play wing & center & be good at both.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a significant development.<\/p>\n Not just because the two sides are working together on a new contract, but because of what it signifies.<\/p>\n Schmaltz\u2019s willingness to return further demonstrates that talented players are buying into what Utah is building and want to play in Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n Rather than chasing a bigger bag or playing for a team that could win sooner, No. 8 recognizes the opportunity to succeed with the Mammoth.<\/p>\n Fans should be thrilled by that.<\/p>\n Now, some may argue that Utah hasn\u2019t really proven anything to this point as they\u2019ve yet to sign a big free agent outside of the organization.<\/p>\n While that may be true to some degree, they\u2019ve managed to consistently convince high end players within the organization to keep coming back.<\/p>\n On top of that, players around the league are talking about Utah.<\/p>\n They\u2019re intrigued by the ownership group, recognize what they\u2019ve already constructed in a short amount of time and have taken note of the organization\u2019s desire to win for an extended period of time.<\/p>\n So, for now, take the contract extensions.<\/p>\n With a little more time, external talent will come.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next for the Utah Mammoth?<\/p>\n The Utah Mammoth will continue their five-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night at 5 p.m. MT.<\/p>\n The game will be available on Mammoth+.<\/p>\n All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM\/1280 AM).<\/p>\n Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports.\u00a0Keep up with him on X here<\/a>.\u00a0You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
\u2013 Blues believed to want Desnoyers in big package from Utah for Thomas
\u2013 Bobrovsky wants lengthy extension with Florida
\u2013 NYR have an offer on table for Trocheck (Wild?); seeing if they can top it
\u2013 Some think Hagens joins Bs this szn<\/p>\n
\nTake us with you, wherever you go.<\/p>\n
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