James Nichols
The Utah Mammoth decided to keep Barrett Hayton. They matched the one-year, $4.775 million offer sheet the New Jersey Devils tendered on July 1, so the 26-year-old center stays in Utah for now.
According to Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong, “Barrett is a key piece of our team and important to what we are building here in Utah. He’s strong in the face-off circle, plays both sides of the puck and can play with anyone in our forward group. We are grateful to be able to count on Barrett in our lineup next season.”
It was a decent push by New Jersey. Hayton brings size, faceoff ability, and some penalty-kill value that could’ve helped the middle six. He had 10 goals and 25 points in 67 games last season, though that upper-body injury messed with him late and limited his playoff time. A change of scenery might have helped, but that’s not happening this time around.
It is worth noting that the Mammoth cannot trade Hayton before July 1st, which walks him right to unrestricted free agency if he does not extend to remain in Utah.
For the Devils, this outcome actually helps their books. They were sitting with about $7.63 million in projected cap space under the $104 million ceiling for 2026-27. Not adding Hayton’s $4.775 million hit keeps that flexibility right where it is. They can chase other forward help, have extra room to maneuver if injuries pop up, or the season throws curveballs. No new one-year commitment tying things down.
The core down the middle is still solid with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, so the front office will find other ways to add depth. Now that there’s a verdict on Hayton, it’ll be interesting to see if Sunny Mehta looks to add elsewhere.
Losing out on Hayton is a bit of a missed chance, but far from a setback.
Regardless, the Devils showed some aggression this offseason, and it should be no surprise to see them keep at it to fill those gaps.
