6 Bold Predictions for the Mammoth’s 2026-27 Season

With the season rapidly coming up, one of the most fun things to do is create predictions about what could happen. If you’re right, you look like a genius. If you’re not, it’s a fun thing to look back on and joke about. Predictions and betting have become a big part of sports, especially in the past couple of seasons.

With the Utah Mammoth about to embark on their third season in franchise history, I decided to make six predictions for their 2026-27 season. Some of them might not be crazy. Some of them might be pretty bold. However, these are six things I believe will happen this season.

Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers, and Daniil But Will All Start in the AHL

This season will be the first pro season in North America for a whole bunch of prospects. Yegor Borikov, Vadim Moroz, Gabe Smith, Gregor Biber, Tomas Lavoie, and Michael Hrabal are all expected to play their first season within the Mammoth organization. However, all eyes are on Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers, two of the Mammoth’s coveted first-round picks from the past couple of seasons.

Just because you turn pro, though, doesn’t mean you get a one-way ticket to the NHL. In fact, I believe Iginla and Desnoyers will start their season in the American Hockey League (AHL) and play more than 60 games with the Tucson Roadrunners.

I’m going to add to that. I also believe Daniil But, who played 29 NHL games last season, will start this year with the Roadrunners.

For Iginla and Desnoyers, it’s simple. Both of them have spent the last couple of seasons in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). While they both dominated that league, the NHL and the AHL are different beasts. Both are more physical leagues with the best players in the world. Even the AHL is miles more intense than the CHL, with players fighting for jobs in the NHL.

It also makes more sense for them to get more ice time to adjust to the pro level and keep developing. If they’re playing 10 to 13 minutes on the Mammoth’s third or fourth line, who is that helping?

Playing top-line minutes on a competitive Roadrunners team surrounded by prospects and NHL veterans will help Desnoyers and Iginla be better in the future. A reminder that the AHL isn’t a bad thing. It exists for a reason. Josh Doan, Lawson Crouse, and Dylan Guenther all improved with time in the AHL.

With But, the numbers aren’t in his favor. The Mammoth can only have 23 players on their roster, and with the additions that were made this offseason, it pushes him out. Of course, that’s with players like Brandon Tanev and Liam O’Brien considered, forwards who play identical roles that the Mammoth really don’t need a lot of.

More time in the AHL will help But. He struggled at points during his NHL call-ups last season. Beginning at a level where he thrived the season before should help him start strong.

What a goal by BUT! pic.twitter.com/VdmI73XoR7

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) March 15, 2026

I don’t think But will spend the whole season in the AHL. I believe by the end of the 2026-27 campaign, he will be an NHL regular. At the end of the day, as of right now, But is the odd man out in my opinion on the Mammoth’s roster.

Kailer Yamamoto Will Have 40+ Points on a Line With Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley

Last season, Kailer Yamamoto proved he can be an NHL regular after rebuilding his NHL career with the Roadrunners. After being placed on a line with Guenther and Logan Cooley in the final couple of weeks of the season, the trio went on a torrid pace offensively.

In the postseason, the line stayed hot. Yamamoto especially looked really good, leading the Mammoth in postseason production with five points in six games. He earned a two-year extension as a reward.

Now the question becomes: will Yamamoto be deployed in a similar fashion? If the Mammoth are smart, it should be the move to start the season. The forward clicked so well with Guenther and Cooley because he had the speed to keep up with the forwards and has the experience of playing with high-level players.

If Yamamoto does indeed play with Cooley and Guenther for most, if not all, of this season, he could easily hit the 40-point mark for the second time in his career. The chemistry between the three could even hit a high mark if Cooley and Guenther continue to develop and produce more. 40 might not even be the limit for Yamamoto if that happens.

Not to mention, Yamamoto might have some newfound dad strength after welcoming his first child this summer. He might be an extremely undervalued player on the Mammoth if everything goes well.

Clayton Keller Won’t Be the Mammoth’s Leader in Points

Clayton Keller had led the Mammoth in points during the franchise’s first two seasons of existence. I don’t think that happens for a third straight season.

For the first time in his career, Cooley will hit the 80-point plateau and lead the Mammoth in points.

I understand that is a jump from Cooley’s career high of 65 points, but there are a lot of reasons why this is realistic. The forward was on pace for around 70 points last season amidst injuries. He also never really had a permanent third person on his line that he connected with until Yamamoto late in March.

That brings me back to my previous prediction. If Cooley is allowed to continue building chemistry with Yamamoto the same way he has built chemistry with Guenther, the trio could be the best complete line on the Mammoth.

THIS LOGAN COOLEY OT WINNER CELLY>>> pic.twitter.com/SfeUgLKJ4t

Related: Ducks News and Notes: Season Preview · Flames’ Othmann Has a Lot to Prove in First Season in Calgary · Sabres Defenseman Owen Power Cannot Be a Bystander in 2026-27

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 8, 2026

Just like the past couple of seasons, this should be another season of growth for Cooley as he continues to become a top player in the Central Division. Last season brought a lot of experience to Cooley. He had great highs but also great learning experiences like his first major injury and his first postseason games.

If Guenther can hit 50 goals, which I believe is totally possible, that’s more points for Cooley. It seems like the way his career has been trending, and if all the right scenarios happen, 80 or more points is achievable in his fourth season in the NHL. Is that enough to beat Keller? It’s totally possible.

Sebastian Cossa Will Play 30+ Games

Sebastian Cossa won over Mammoth fans on Sunday when he played his first preseason game for Utah. In 40 minutes, he only surrendered one goal and had a save percentage of .917. Considering this will be his first NHL season, that’s not bad at all.

With that said, I expect big things for Cossa. One of the main problems the Mammoth have had the past season is that they’ve placed a heavy workload on Karel Vejmelka. During their inaugural season, Vejmelka started every game after Connor Ingram was placed in the NHLPA assistance program except one. Last season, he played even more with Vítek Vaněček struggling in the backup role.

Vejmelka playing so many games doesn’t do him any favors. It doesn’t make him any less tired heading into the postseason. While he put up really solid numbers with that high workload and has publicly said he wants to play every game possible, it puts him more at risk of injury.

Vaněček played 22 games last season, which means Cossa will automatically play around the same number barring injuries or anything crazy. However, if he plays with the same level of confidence as he did on Sunday, Cossa could get more games.

From his very first interview with the Utah media, Cossa has been confident he can win games for the Mammoth. His swagger might get him far. I don’t see Cossa challenging Vejmelka for a full workload, but sneaking in 30 or more games could be big for the goaltender’s first NHL season.

The Tucson Roadrunners Will Win the Pacific Division

While the Mammoth’s Central Division seems like a bloodbath with heavyweights like the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild, so is the Roadrunners’. The San Jose Barracuda will have some of the San Jose Sharks’ more intriguing prospects, the Colorado Eagles are always loaded, and Roger McQueen might help the San Diego Gulls challenge for a top spot in the division.

However, with the additions of Iginla, Desnoyers, and Smith, the Roadrunners might’ve turned into a top team in the Pacific Division overnight. That’s why I am predicting the Roadrunners will win the Pacific Division for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

It’s not going to be an easy task. The Roadrunners will need their prospects to adjust to the pro level quickly. However, they made some smart signings in the offseason to help that happen. They brought back Austin Poganski, Sammy Walker, Robbie Russo, Jack Ricketts, Ty Tullio, and perhaps the biggest returnee, Kevin Rooney, who is hungrier than ever to prove he is still a NHL player.

On top of that, the Mammoth will likely send down Joshua Roy and Zac Jones, who was a point-per-game defenseman in the AHL last season. Cal Thomas also joins the fold on an AHL deal, a former Mammoth prospect that could draw some eyes after four seasons at Minnesota.

Perhaps the biggest addition for the Roadrunners is one they already had. Hrabal will play his first full season in the AHL after posting solid stats last season in five games. If he can be a wall in between the pipes, the Roadrunners might not even need Iginla and Desnoyers producing early.

Of course there are questions. Can Ben McCartney, Cameron Hebig, and Poganski repeat the standout seasons they had last year? Are guys like Owen Allard and Noel Nordh going to take another step forward? Will the prospects succeed at the AHL level?

However, if all goes to plan, the Roadrunners could have an extremely top-heavy team filled with a lot of great depth. A lot of the issues from last season should be fixed with the number of offensively gifted prospects they have now. Especially with the hunger to get back into the playoffs after being mathematically eliminated due to a tiebreaker, getting back in should be easy.

The Roadrunners have the talent to challenge for the Pacific Division crown. If they clinch that, they’ll avoid playing in the first round of the playoffs, something they’ve struggled with in the Steve Potvin era. It could also be the first time the Mammoth and the Roadrunners each make the postseason in the same season. Big things could be on the horizon in Tucson. 

The Mammoth Will Grab a Top Three Spot in the Central Division

I’m not confident enough to say the Mammoth will win a playoff round this season. As of now, I’d take the Avalanche, Stars, and Wild in a playoff series. However, that’s not to say I don’t think the Mammoth could beat one of them in the standings.

I think the Mammoth will nab a top-three spot in the Central Division this season, more specifically, that third spot.

There are a lot of things the juggernauts of the division will go through this season. There are always injuries, struggles, and regression from seasons prior. The Mammoth got better this offseason. None of those three teams had moves like adding Vincent Trocheck or even Anders Lee. The closest was the Avalanche’s signing of Jaden Schwartz and the Wild’s trade for Blake Coleman.

It’s a bold take, but the Mammoth could edge out one of these teams late in the season, especially if everything goes their way. Again, I think the playoff experience of each of these teams will help best the Mammoth in a playoff round, but there’s a reason why these games are played.

If I were to guess right now, I’d put the Stars and Avalanche in the top two spots in the division, placing the Mammoth in third and booting the Wild to the wild card. The moves the Mammoth made this summer, and having the knowledge now of how to win games in the regular season, have made them a better team than they were a year ago, and in my opinion, that will pay off big time.