The Utah Mammoth reportedly traded for the Buffalo Sabres’ JJ Peterka.
Buffalo Sabres right wing JJ Peterka (77) skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Utah Hockey Club Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
The Utah Mammoth have made their first big move of the offseason.
The team acquired forward J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan.
Peterka just finished his three-year, entry-level contract; it had a total value of $2.775 million and a cap hit of $855,833 per season. Peterka was a pending restricted free agent but agreed to a five-year, $38.5 million contract extension ($7.7 million average annual value) with Utah as part of the trade.
“J.J. is a highly skilled, creative, young forward with extremely high upside,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said in a news release Wednesday night. “Signing J.J. to a long-term extension is another positive step towards building a sustainable contender here in Utah, and today is an exciting day for our entire organization.”
Peterka, a 23-year-old winger, brings the consistent top-six scoring touch that Utah has been looking for. He also fits well with the Mammoth’s young core and, in hand, timeline. The Munich, Germany, native posted 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) in 77 games this season in Buffalo, setting a new career high by 18 points. Peterka ended the season on the first line with Josh Norris and Tage Thompson – he was also on the first power play unit. He is 6 feet and 189 pounds.
Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens (24) and Utah defenseman Michael Kesselring (7) race for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Buffalo selected Peterka 34th overall (second round) in the 2020 NHL Draft. He spent a season in the AHL in 2021-2022 with the Rochester Americans and had 68 points (28 goals, 40 assists) in 70 games. During his NHL rookie season in 2022-23, he had 32 points and followed that with 50 the next season.
“There is a lot of excitement and positive momentum surrounding our team right now, and adding a player of J.J. Peterka’s caliber and offensive upside is another great step towards achieving our objectives as a group,” Mammoth president Chris Armstrong said in a news release. “We are excited to welcome J.J. to Utah and know our fans are going to love what he brings. On the other side of this, it is never easy to say goodbye to players of the highest character like Michael and Josh — we are certainly grateful for their contributions to our organization and trust their careers will continue to flourish in Buffalo.”
Going the other way for Utah are Kesselring (25 years old) and Doan (23 ), who were important pieces to the Mammoth’s inaugural season. Kesselring — the 6-foot-5, 215-pound blueliner — took on more responsibilities with Utah’s defensive injuries. He played top and bottom-pair minutes while also getting power-play looks as well.
Doan started the year in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners but battled his way into a middle-six position with the Mammoth and finished the season with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 51 games. The winger brings physicality, but was still working towards nightly production.
Utah wanted to make a splash this summer and it certainly has. Peterka is a top talent — who has yet to meet his full potential — that general manager Bill Armstrong acquired for two roster players, no prospects and no draft picks.