Episode Notes Moments (24) Description
00:00:00 The Mammoth qualify for the playoffs as the Western Conference’s first Wild Card team. It marks the first postseason appearance for the Arizona-Utah franchise since the 2020 bubble and its first traditional playoff berth since 2012 Jump 00:00:25 Utah gives a strong account of itself in the opening round before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. Neil sees the Mammoth as a young, exciting team that has made meaningful progress Jump 00:00:45 Captain Clayton Keller leads a talented young foundation. After entering the season expected to challenge for a Wild Card berth, Utah does more than simply knock on the door and successfully earns a playoff position Jump 00:01:00 Vic looks back at the franchise’s final season in Arizona, when the team remained competitive through roughly 45 games before news of the relocation contributed to an 0-12-2 collapse Jump 00:01:25 The move to Salt Lake City provides stability, but Utah remains inconsistent at home. The Mammoth post a .537 winning percentage at the Delta Center, tied for 22nd in the NHL Jump 00:01:50 Keller is joined by Dylan Guenther, Nick Schmaltz, and Logan Cooley as the centerpiece of the offense. Utah also strengthens the lineup by acquiring J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres Jump 00:02:10 The defense features Mikhail Sergachev, Ian Cole, John Marino, and Sean Durzi. Utah also signs Nate Schmidt following his Stanley Cup-winning season with the Florida Panthers Jump 00:02:30 Karel Vejmelka provides dependable goaltending, but Neil believes the Mammoth need another strong option in net with Vitek Vanecek approaching unrestricted free agency Jump 00:02:50 Statistically, Utah improves by only three standings points from the previous season. However, its goal differential jumps from minus-10 to plus-28, showing a much stronger overall team Jump 00:03:15 The Mammoth improve from 17th to 12th in goals against, although their goals-against average and save percentage remain similar. Their special teams rankings also decline despite the playoff qualification Jump 00:03:35 Utah makes an important late-season acquisition by adding defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames, further strengthening an already capable blue line Jump 00:03:55 Much of Utah’s improvement comes from deeper in the lineup. Lawson Crouse matches a career high with 24 goals and finishes with a career-best plus-20 rating Jump 00:04:15 Michael Carcone scores 16 goals and records a career-high 31 points. Kailer Yamamoto becomes increasingly important late in the year and contributes five points in the playoff series against Vegas Jump 00:04:35 Kevin Stenlund, Alex Kerfoot, Jack McBain, and Brandon Tanev give André Tourigny four dependable forward lines. That depth allows Utah to remain competitive even when its stars are not producing Jump 00:04:55 Neil cautions that the Western Conference was weaker than the East, making the playoff path somewhat easier. Utah will need further improvement to guarantee another postseason appearance Jump 00:05:15 Compared with Nashville, Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim, St. Louis, and Winnipeg, Utah appears to maintain a small but consistent edge throughout the season Jump 00:05:35 The Mammoth avoid the extended winning and losing streaks that define many other teams. Their consistency from October through April becomes one of their greatest strengths Jump 00:05:55 General Manager Bill Armstrong enters the 2026 NHL Draft with seven selections, including two third-round picks and two fifth-round picks Jump 00:06:15 Utah does not own a second-round pick after including it in the MacKenzie Weegar trade. The organization also lacks a sixth-round selection following a previous pick swap with Nashville Jump 00:06:35 The Mammoth project to have approximately $5.5 million in cap space before the July 1 reset. Neil believes Salt Lake City has also become a more attractive destination for NHL players Jump 00:06:55 Unrestricted free agents include Alex Kerfoot, Kevin Stenlund, Kevin Rooney, Kailer Yamamoto, Ian Cole, Nick DeSimone, and Vitek Vanecek. Barrett Hayton is the team’s lone restricted free agent Jump 00:07:15 Neil identifies Kerfoot as the unrestricted free agent Utah should prioritize retaining. Armstrong must then determine how to replace any veterans who leave during the offseason Jump 00:07:35 Compared with many teams featured in Spring Cleaning, Utah does not require a major overhaul. The roster already has a strong foundation and primarily needs additional depth and goaltending support Jump 00:07:55 Neil believes the Mammoth remain a few years away from becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. However, their playoff experience and young core could allow them to challenge for a top-three position in the division as soon as next season Jump
