The Utah Mammoth have holes in its roster. They need to make some additions before the 2025-26 season kicks off in October. While it is clear this team needs to bring in some players for next season, Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong is maintaining his focus on the future saying, “We’re still building…we don’t need to sell the farm for a 31, 35-year-old to come in and clog our team up and then we can’t make the signing when we need it” but also adding that “if the right free agent is there, we’ll sign them.”
With the Mammoth not looking to spend big money on long term contracts unless the fit is perfect, let’s evaluate a few underrated free agents that would fill the holes in the Mammoth’s roster at a cheaper price and likely on a shorter term to give them as much flexibility as possible as their young talented prospects continue to develop.
Victor Olofsson
Victor Olofsson was a seventh-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2014. He made his NHL debut in 2018-19 and went on to play five more seasons with the Sabres after getting into six games in his first season with the team. Then, in 2024-25, Olofsson reinvented himself after signing a one-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Ever since Olofsson has set foot in the NHL, he has shown his offensive upside, scoring two goals and adding two assists in his first six NHL games. Since then, he has had three 20-goal or more campaigns and three 40 or more point seasons.
However, throughout the first part of his career, Olofsson was highly unreliable on the defensive end, having five straight seasons where he finished with a negative relative goal share compared to the team’s share. That was until 2024-25, where he showed a ton of improvement on the defensive end, finishing with a positive relative expected goal share, scoring chance percentage and high-danger chance percentage while on the ice at five-on-five for the Golden Knights (via Natural Stat Trick).
Olofsson is also an elite weapon on the power play; he finished the 2024-25 season ranking second in power-play goals per 60 minutes among players with more than 30 minutes played on the man advantage. The Mammoth desperately lacked depth in goal scoring this season. Olofsson could be a piece that helps address this issue. With his defensive improvement this season, he looks to be a great value option that could play in the Mammoth’s bottom nine.
Andrei Kuzmenko
Andrei Kuzmenko has been unable to find a stable home during his first three seasons in the NHL, having played for four different teams since entering the league in 2022-23. The now 29-year-old Russian forward burst on the scene, scoring 39 goals in his rookie season.
After his incredible start to his career, Kuzmenko’s play style did not align well with the Vancouver Canucks following their hiring of Rick Tocchet. This marked the beginning of Kuzmenko’s consistent movement. He was traded from the Canucks to the Calgary Flames before the 2024 Trade Deadline. He started the next season with the Flames before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, who then dealt him after just seven games to the Los Angeles Kings, where Kuzmenko put up 17 points in 22 games and six more in six games against the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs.
Related: Top 40 2025 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
For a player who has not had a consistent role in four straight seasons, it feels hard to criticize him for struggling at times. However, when allowed to play consistent minutes, he has shone, averaging 0.81 points per game in situations where he has played over 15 minutes per game.
In the past, there have been concerns about Kuzmenko‘s defensive game and ability to win puck battles. However, the Mammoth have several versatile, strong defensive forwards who can help shelter him on that side of the puck. His elite release on his shot fools goalies from all over the ice, which has led to Kuzmenko having the fourth-best shooting percentage in the NHL over the last three seasons among players who have played at least 500 minutes over that span.
Kuzmenko may be a bit of a gamble, but his offensive upside is worth the risk. With the Mammoth having some Russian players in Mikhail Sergachev, Daniil But, and Dmitry Simashev, they have the players that can make Kuzmenko feel comfortable and possibly bring out the best in him. He would be another excellent scoring option that would bring value to this team.
Alex Lyon
By no means are the Mammoth desperate for goaltending. Midway through last season, they extended Karel Vejmelka’s contract. They still have Connor Ingram, who finished tied for the league lead in shutouts in the 2023-24 season. They also have Jaxson Stauber, who tied for second all-time on the list of most wins by a goalie in their first eight career starts.
However, Ingram’s status is still up in the air going into next season after entering the NHL’s Player Assistance Program following the tragic passing of his mother. The Mammoth may need to think about a third-string goalie option in case Ingram still needs more time.
Over the last three seasons, Alex Lyon has a .904 save percentage and saved plus-0.03 goals above expected per 60 minutes. While he is not someone you want to have to rely on to play games in bulk, Lyon is an excellent insurance option. Throughout his career, he has consistently given his teams chances to win games when called upon.
The Mammoth likely won’t need him all too often, but for the cheap price he will cost, it will be worth having the extra security blanket, if Ingram is still out, or injuries catch up with the team’s netminders.
Bottom Line
It appears the Mammoth will be bargain hunting in free agency, looking for players they can bring in for cheap, without compromising their flexibility to bring in key players in the future. Olofsson and Kuzmenko would be two great middle-six options that would provide this team with the depth and goal-scoring it is looking for.
Regardless of whether it is one of these two, the Mammoth’s two biggest priorities heading into free agency need to be two middle-six goal scorers and an insurance option in the net. Adding three players that fit these roles would make them a serious contender for a playoff spot next season.
