The second season for the Utah Mammoth was full of highs and lows. In their second season ever, they made the postseason for the first time and gave Utah a taste of playoff hockey. On the other hand, massive injuries to Jack McBain and heartbreaking overtime games ended their season. Hidden in those highs and lows is controversy, all because a fan favorite got traded for a new player.
The trade of Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring for JJ Peterka sent waves throughout the Mammoth community. Doan specifically amassed a huge following called Doanher Nation. Fans saddened by the news of his departure became skeptical of the new arrival, Peterka.
The trade meant something else for Peterka; it became a chance for a new beginning. In Buffalo, Peterka became a blossoming star behind teammate Tage Thompson . However, the Sabres faced a big problem. They thought they couldn't make the playoffs, so many pundits speculated that Peterka wanted out . This led to June 26, 2025, when the Mammoth and Sabres completed the swap.
Fans and pundits alike felt the Mammoth won the trade , wondering what Buffalo would gain from trading away such a great player. To everyone's surprise, the trade turned out fair once the regular season started. Peterka scored 25 goals, 22 assists, and 47 points in the regular season. Doan tallied 25 goals, 27 assists, and 52 points. Both contributed to their teams evenly until the postseason.
The NHL playoffs are a different monster compared to the regular season. Physicality, defense, and play ramp up to achieve the single goal of winning the Stanley Cup. With the Mammoth making it to their first playoffs as a new franchise, many looked to see how the young core would fare against a battle-hardened Vegas Golden Knights squad.
Logan Cooley , Dylan Guenther , and Clayton Keller answered the call. Contributing game-winning goals to amazing assists, the Mammoth's young core rose to the occasion. However, Peterka did not. In six games, the forward recorded zero points and a negative three plus-minus differential.
Being paid $7.7 million a year comes with high expectations. A player contributing only six hits, one block, and six giveaways in a playoff series that his team could've won is unacceptable. It got so bad that head coach Andre Tourigny benched Peterka for minutes at a time – a bad look for a player trying to shake off the rust from being on a losing team.
At times in the regular season, Peterka would disappear, but he would eventually score an amazing goal or contribute to a major win. This angered Mammoth fans the most: He shows potential, but his consistency isn't quite there yet.
Doan had a completely different story in the postseason. The Sabres made it past the first round and took the Montreal Canadians to a Game 7 in the second round. In the 12 playoff games he played, the young winger scored three goals and seven assists, for a total of 10 points. Most of these points came from an eight-point streak from May 1 to May 14 .
In the playoffs, Doan's physical play and greasy goal-getting tactics flourished, helping him become a key cog in the Sabres' playoff performances. The series against the Knights could've been different if Doan had potentially stayed with the Mammoth.
He's a savvy assist-maker who's physical enough to bully other players. Unlike Peterka, Doan's physicality could've offset the Knights, resulting in a few more goals from the lower lines. Funny that the player the Mammoth traded away became the type of player they needed in the playoffs.
Peterka needs this summer to grow within the Mammoth system. If the winger can't improve his game, he could possibly lose his spot to another free agent or prospect. While he's more experienced than any of the Mammoth's prospects, his fortunes could turn quickly if, say, a Tij Iginla started to play well in the NHL.
The Mammoth need wins and quality players to make the playoffs again in the future. If Peterka can't improve his game, coach Tourigny could bench him for more productive players. Speaking of Tourigny, he also needs to figure out a way to help Peterka fit the system. The coach seemed to struggle to find a spot for the young player this entire season.
Constantly switching from line to line, Peterka struggled to build chemistry with any of his teammates. If they want him to be a part of this team's core, Tourigny must help him develop chemistry with a certain line.
Sadly, Peterka's name will synonymously be remembered with Doan's amongst Mammoth Nation. That happens when a team trades away a fan favorite. However, fans in Utah should look to the future and cheer Peterka on. The winger showed he can improve, especially on the defensive end , and he's no slouch when it comes to scoring in the regular season.
Peterka scored some big goals this year to help the Mammoth win games and make the playoffs. Just like the one he scored early against the Edmonton Oilers on April 7, 2026, that helped the Mammoth clinch Wild Card One.
"I think it takes time," said Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong when asked about Peterka's struggles . "He came into a team that's highly competitive, a lot of the lines are made up, and we play a certain system that's not sometimes easy for certain players to take on."
Armstrong and the front office believe that with time, Peterka can become a huge part of this Mammoth team. At 24 years old, the winger has time to perfect his game. Next year, the Mammoth fans should see a better Peterka, one ready to take on Tourigny's system and aid the Mammoth in another playoff run.
The post Is It Too Early to Declare the JJ Peterka Trade a Bust for the Mammoth? appeared first on The Lead .
