Breaking Down the Mammoth’s First Day of 2026 Free Agency

Day 1 of a busy free agency for the Utah Mammoth is now over. At first, it seemed like the team wouldn’t do much with the first move not coming until nearly two hours past the opening of free agency. However, the Mammoth didn’t stop making moves from there until general manager Bill Armstrong’s availability at 5 PM that night.

When the dust settled, the Mammoth brought in three new faces, extended a well-known one, and now face an interesting dilemma. Here’s a complete breakdown of the team’s transactions from Day 1 of 2026’s free agency.

Oh, Captain, My Captain

The biggest signing of the day was a much unexpected one. The Mammoth signed Anders Lee to a three-year deal with an annual average value (AAV) of $5.4 million. Lee was originally a sixth-round pick of the New York Islanders back in 2009. Since then, he’s spent every single season as a member of the Islanders, captaining the team for eight of them. His most productive season came during the 2017-18 season, when he put up 62 points.

However, Lee has been consistently productive throughout most of his NHL tenure, with 42 points last season. He’s also played upwards of 80 games in the past four seasons.

“He’s been a great captain in the NHL,” Armstrong said. “He’s a power forward, and he does a lot of the things that we need. He goes to the net, and he recovers pucks. His leadership as a teammate is to get in there and stick up for each other and just play hard. It’s incredible. We were blown away, to be honest with you, that we would have the ability to walk out of today with a player like that.”

Forever an Islander. pic.twitter.com/1vkUeyi4a1

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 1, 2026

Lee was one of the most coveted free agents going into Wednesday. He is a nine-time 20-goal scorer, a decent producer in the playoffs (21 points in 46 postseason games), and a well-respected captain. While many knew he was going to leave the Islanders, he was also considering signing with the Minnesota Wild. In the end, he chose the Mammoth, and instead of making his agent tell Wild general manager Bill Guerin he wasn’t ending up in Minnesota, he took it upon himself to do so.

It’s just the type of player Lee is. Speaking of that, the forward has been a big part of the Long Island community during his 14-year tenure with the Islanders. Most notably, he works closely with Jam Kancer in the Kan Foundation, helping raise more than $2.5 million for families affected by cancer diagnoses. He was named the winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy back in 2024 for his accomplishments in his community.

“We always look at high-character people, and you ask anyone across the NHL who the highest-character individuals in the league are, and Anders would come up at the top of that list,” Mammoth president Chris Armstrong said. “We gain an unbelievable community ambassador in Anders and his wife, Grace, and I think they’ll have a huge impact here.”

Lee has a very similar offensive play style to someone like Joe Pavelski. He likes being in front of the net, tipping pucks when thrown at him. He’s a power forward like Lawson Crouse, meaning he’s not afraid to use his physicality to gain the puck and grind away for the puck during battles on the board.

Simply put, Lee is a great addition for the Mammoth. Off the ice, he’s incredible in the community, something the team will appreciate after some of their departures. On the ice, he’s a 40-to-50-point player who is great in a power forward role and is a natural-born leader whom everyone respects. Though he’s older, currently 35, it’s a three-year deal that isn’t ridiculously expensive. It’s a top-nine signing that’s a slam dunk for the Mammoth.

Big Trade From the Big Apple

Right before the Lee signing, news broke that the Mammoth were making a big trade to acquire Vincent Trocheck from the New York Rangers. In return, the Rangers received Sean Durzi, Cole Beaudoin, and a 2027 third-round pick.

The Mammoth had been chasing Trocheck for a while, trying their best to acquire a top center. Interestingly enough, the forward had the Mammoth on his no-trade list before July 1. That changed on Wednesday with the list shrinking from 12 teams to 10. 

Trocheck is typically a 20-goal, 60-to-70-point guy who thrives in the faceoff circle and is a solid two-way player. Last season, that wasn’t the case as he only produced 16 goals and 53 points with horrible defensive stats. However, not only was Trocheck involved in trade rumors the whole season, but he also suffered through a lung infection and was on a mediocre Rangers team.

“Vincent Trocheck, another ultimate teammate, a guy who’s a glue guy,” Bill Armstrong said. “He’ll do anything for his teammates, he’s good off the draw, he’s a right-handed draw, he can get in the bumper and score some goals, he’s really can just fit around people and do whatever it needs to be done at the time, and he did that with Team USA to win a gold medal, but he’s done that for a lot of his career.”

For your unrelenting passion, dedication, leadership and all the memorable moments along the way – thank you, Troch. 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/7gVqL51pwe

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 1, 2026

As mentioned, Trocheck won Olympic gold last season with Team USA. However, he’s a guy who always wants to win. He’s made the playoffs six times in his career and has scored 37 points in 56 postseason games.

The question becomes, where does Trocheck fit in the lineup? The easiest solution is to move Nick Schmaltz back to the wing and put Trocheck on the top line, creating a one-two punch with Logan Cooley down the middle. However, Schmaltz thrived in the center position this season. Whatever happens, Bill isn’t worried about it. 

“You never have too many centers,” Bill Armstrong said. “He’s pretty good as a specialist; right-handed centermen are valuable. He’s really good off the draw, and I think you can see how valuable Mr. Staal was in the finals when he started dominating and winning draws in key moments in the game. You always need a good face-off guy, and what it adds to our group is that now, you’ve got Haytes, who is pretty good on the draw on the left side; you get Stenlund on the right side, and Trocheck on the right side too.”

Trocheck finished last season with a faceoff win percentage of 56.9%. That would’ve been the highest among all Mammoth players who played more than half of the season.

There is a reason why the Mammoth traded for him. Trocheck is a great top-two center. He wins faceoffs, is a solid two-way player, and can get you 20 goals and upwards of 60 points. He’ll be surrounded by talent that will help him a lot more than he was last season with the Rangers as well. While the price was steep to acquire him, that’s ultimately the price you pay to get a top-line center, and that’s what Trocheck is.

Don’t Forget the Depth

It wasn’t just reinforcements for the top six that the Mammoth prioritized during Day 1 of free agency. They brought in some depth as well. Zac Jones was brought in on a two-year, two-way contract with an AAV of $875,000.

Jones spent last season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Rochester Americans, putting up his best offensive stats in his career with 62 points in 60 games. He was originally drafted in the third round by the Rangers in 2019.

The signing of the defenseman shouldn’t be taken lightly. As mentioned, he was above a point per game with the Americans last season. He’s also played 115 NHL games with the Rangers, and although he only produced 28 points, he was developed in a notoriously bad Rangers system that didn’t produce many top-end prospects.

The Mammoth do have six NHL defensemen under contract, including recently extended Nick DeSimone. However, Armstrong believes Jones can challenge for an NHL roster spot in training camp.

“He is a really talented kid,” Bill Armstrong said. “I’ve known him since back in Washington in the Tri-City days before he got drafted to the NHL. Super competitive, he can play the power play. At times, run the second unit on an NHL team. It gives you some depth with your team, and he’s going to come in and compete for a job at a high level. He’s always been a super professional, somebody who wants to have an impact on the NHL team.”

Zac Jones walks up the slot🚀@AmerksHockey | #SYRvsROC pic.twitter.com/vpPgAgfBkb

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) January 15, 2026

Even if Jones doesn’t make the NHL squad, he’ll be a great addition for the Tucson Roadrunners. They struggled at times with defensive depth last season. Both he and newly acquired Joshua Roy should also add quite a bit of offense after the Roadrunners lost guys like Max Szuber and Andrew Agozzino.

Loyalty Rewarded

It seemed like Kevin Stenlund wasn’t going to return to the Mammoth. The forward, now infamously, unfollowed the team account on Instagram, and with the team extending DeSimone and Kailer Yamamoto two days before free agency began, it seemed like Stenlund was bound to hit free agency.

That ended up not being the case. Nearly two hours into free agency, Stenlund returned to the Mammoth on a one-year contract with a $2.75 million AAV.

It was a smart move for the Mammoth. While Stenlund didn’t produce as much this season as he did the season prior, he still excelled at what he does best: winning faceoffs. The forward had a 54.9% success rate in the faceoff circle and was counted on to take big draws at critical moments, including during overtime and with an extra attacker on the ice.

Stenlund also was critical to the Mammoth’s penalty kill. While he isn’t a player who will produce consistently and will likely once again be a fourth liner, he is an important player for the team. Without him, the Mammoth have a massive hole in their bottom six and on their penalty kill.

“Kevin plays an important role on this team, and we’re pleased to bring him back to the Mammoth,” Bill Armstrong said. “He’s a durable player who kills penalties and is strong in the faceoff circle. We are happy to have him remain part of our organization.”

With the contract, Stenlund gets a slight raise as well. It’s a perfect conclusion to this situation. The team obviously loves the player, and the player likes playing on the team. No sense in ruining that by letting Stenlund sign with a different team.

So Long, Farewell

With all the exciting signings, there had to be some casualties. Some of whom had been with the team since the beginning.

One of those players was Alex Kerfoot, who signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators. The forward played 115 total games with the Mammoth but also played with the Arizona Coyotes before their relocation to Salt Lake City. He was a big part of the team’s bottom six, but perhaps just as important, he was a big part of the team’s community outreach, being the team’s nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy the past two seasons.

Ian Cole also played the past two seasons for the Mammoth and is one of the few players to play the full 82-game schedule both years. The defenseman was a big leader in the locker room and one who was always honest about how the team could improve, no matter how bad the loss was. Cole signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks and could make nearly $2 million more than he did on his last contract with the Mammoth.

As mentioned, Durzi was included in the package to the Rangers for Trocheck. The defenseman played 90 games for the franchise and also spent a season prior to the move with the Coyotes. While Durzi went through multiple injuries during his time with the Mammoth, he was a solid player for the team and also was a big part of the community, becoming a fan favorite.

While Beaudoin never played a game for the Mammoth, he was a well-liked individual in the organization. His maturity and willingness to get better were always things the fans and the Mammoth liked and respected. He was also the team’s second-ever draft pick, something that will forever be a part of history.

Scott Perunovich never played a game for the Mammoth, but he did receive two call-ups during his one season with the Mammoth. More notably, he broke the Roadrunners’ franchise record for most points produced by a defenseman in a single season with 49 points in 64 games. He signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Los Angeles Kings.

Finally, Vítek Vaněček signed a one-year deal with the Islanders. The goaltender played 22 games with the Mammoth in his one season with the team.

“It’s tough to see good people, high-quality, high-character people go, and we want to thank Sean Durzi, Cole Beaudoin, Ian Cole, Alex Kerfoot, and Vítek Vaněček as they move on to new opportunities,” Chris Armstrong said. “We wish them the best, and we know they will continue to have a great impact in this league and in the community.”

A Big Question to End the Day

The final big news of the day leaves the Mammoth with a big question at the conclusion of Day 1. Barrett Hayton was offer-sheeted by the New Jersey Devils, accepting a one-year, $4.775 million contract. The Mammoth have seven days to match the deal; otherwise, they will receive a second-round pick for compensation.

While that would be an easy contract to match, if the team does, they cannot trade Hayton during the tenure of the contract. It would also walk him right into unrestricted free agency, meaning the Mammoth could ultimately lose him for nothing.

Hayton is a solid bottom-six player. Where he was drafted will pump up his value to some teams, but in a sheltered role, he’s a solid 30-to-40-point player who can’t consistently stay healthy. Getting a second-round pick for him, though, could be very intriguing, especially with the two forwards the Mammoth brought in taking up some roster spots.

“Chris and I sit there and go through these things all the time,” Bill Armstrong said. “It’s a mechanism that clubs use…There are a lot of options that we can perform at this time. All I could say, teams use it, and it seems to be happening more and more in the NHL, and we’ll come up with what we feel is best for the team and where we move from here.”

Ultimately, the Mammoth have seven days to decide what they’re going to do with Hayton. A second-round pick is a pretty valuable asset, especially for a player who has had trouble staying healthy and someone the team was going to take to arbitration this summer. Letting the Devils sign Hayton might be the best course of action for the team and even some of the players trying to make the team out of camp this fall.