Utah’s push to build on its 2026 playoff berth will lean heavily on finishing talent near the crease, a young center with game-breaking wheels and Dylan Guenther’s increasingly complete scoring profile. The Mammoth were bounced by the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the Western Conference First Round, but their underlying numbers point to an attack with room to grow.
Key takeaways
- Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley each produced at least 15 high-danger goals last season.
- Free-agent addition Anders Lee brings 107 high-danger shots from his final season with the New York Islanders.
- Cooley ranked fourth in the NHL with a top speed of 24.38 mph despite missing time with a lower-body injury.
- Guenther reached 40 goals and finished ninth in the League with 31 at even strength.
- Vincent Trocheck and Lee give Utah experienced options to support its younger core.
More traffic at the blue paint
Utah finished 14th in the NHL with 127 high-danger goals last season, and the club already had a substantial group doing damage from close range. Schmaltz scored 22 such goals, tying for 10th in the League. Guenther had 16 and Cooley added 15, making Utah one of only four clubs with three players at that threshold; Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Vegas each had four.
The Mammoth also received double-digit high-danger goal production from Clayton Keller (12), Lawson Crouse (11) and JJ Peterka (10). Peterka was dealt to the Boston Bruins on June 26, but Utah replaced some of that net-front pressure by signing Lee to a three-year deal July 1.
Lee, 36, placed eighth in the NHL with 107 high-danger shots for the Islanders. He scored 15 goals from those areas, a mark that placed him in the 90th percentile among forwards. His ability to work around the crease should fit a Mammoth group that already creates a healthy share of close-in looks.
Utah also landed Trocheck from the New York Rangers on July 1. The 33-year-old center had eight high-danger goals in 67 games last season, while posting strong offensive-zone possession shares at even strength (43.0 percent, 87th percentile) and on the power play (62.6 percent, 92nd percentile).
Trocheck’s previous season showed the higher end of his scoring impact. In 2024-25, he reached 76 high-danger shots and 17 high-danger goals, ranking in the 95th and 93rd percentiles among NHL forwards in those categories. Along with Lee, he gives Utah veteran support as it looks to turn a first postseason appearance into a deeper run.
Cooley’s speed and Guenther’s all-zone shot
Cooley played only 54 games because of a lower-body injury, yet still scored 24 goals, one short of the 25 he posted in 2024-25 while appearing in 21 more games. The 22-year-old, selected third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 NHL Draft, remained one of hockey’s fastest skaters.
His 24.38 mph maximum speed was fourth-best in the NHL. Cooley also recorded 33 bursts above 22 mph, tied for eighth, and generated 214 bursts above 20 mph, placing him in the 97th percentile among forwards. Utah’s team pace showed up in the same tracking categories: it ranked fourth with 127 bursts over 22 mph and fourth again with 2,207 above 20 mph.
Once back in the lineup, Cooley continued to convert. Among players who skated in at least 50 games, his 0.28 high-danger goals per game tied for 13th in the League. He closed the regular season with seven goals and six assists over his final 10 games, then produced two goals, an assist, a game-winner and 17 shots in his first six Stanley Cup Playoff games. His six bursts over 22 mph tied him for sixth in the postseason, even though Utah’s run lasted one round.
Guenther’s breakout was powered by more than a 40-goal total. He was one of 15 NHL players to hit that mark, while his 31 even-strength goals ranked ninth. The 23-year-old proved capable of scoring from every layer of the offensive zone: 17 mid-range goals tied him for eighth, 40 long-range shots ranked sixth among forwards, and three long-range goals tied for 10th.
He also recorded 97 mid-range shots, placing in the 97th percentile among forwards, and his 59 high-danger shots landed in the 83rd percentile. Guenther’s high-danger goal rate was in the 92nd percentile, giving Utah a shooter who can beat goaltenders from distance and still finish when the play collapses toward the net.
The release has real bite. Guenther’s average shot velocity was 61.40 mph, good for the 93rd percentile among forwards, and his hardest attempt reached 91.39 mph, in the 89th percentile. He paired that shooting strength with 217 bursts above 20 mph (97th percentile), 14 above 22 mph (94th percentile) and a 45.2 percent offensive-zone time share (88th percentile). If that all-around profile holds, the Mammoth winger has the tools to enter future Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy conversations.
SEO Title: Utah Mammoth notebook: Cooley speed, Guenther goals and new net-front help
Meta Description: Utah Mammoth tracking notes: Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck join a high-danger attack, while Logan Cooley’s speed and Dylan Guenther’s 40-goal breakout drive the outlook.
