SALT LAKE CITY – After suffering a 4-2 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Utah Mammoth finished with an overall record of 45-35-8 (92 regular season points, 4th in the Central Division).

Reflecting on the Club’s second full season in Utah, the following is an analysis and letter grade for forward Kevin Stenlund.

Utah Mammoth forward Kevin Stenlund

Stats: 86 GP, 5 goals, 14 assists, -12 plus/minus

Kevin Stenlund’s second season in Utah

Stepping into the second and final year of his contract with the Utah Mammoth, Kevin Stenlund’s 2025-26 campaign was, let’s say, slightly above average.

Following a career season for the Utah Hockey Club the previous year, No. 82’s production dropped across the board.

Despite matching his assist total from 2024-25, Stenlund witnessed decreases in goals, points, shots, blocks, faceoff wins, faceoff percentage (five-on-five and special teams), shooting percentage, hits and takeaways among other stats.

Not that his numbers dropped to overly concerning levels, but it was obvious that he had taken a collective step backward.

Stenny! Two goals for Utah in 31 seconds! pic.twitter.com/Tt8AwTfYCl

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 18, 2025

🚨 Stenny shorthanded goal! pic.twitter.com/i7e1R0ywcw

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) January 17, 2026

Now, for a fourth line center, Stenlund’s numbers were still pretty solid as most teams in the National Hockey League would be pleased with 18 points, a reasonable plus/minus and a 54 percent success rate in the faceoff circle.

However, where Stenlund earns most of his paycheck is on special teams and that’s where he witnessed the most significant drop.

Year over year, Stenlund’s success in the faceoff circle while on the penalty kill dropped 11 percent.

That’s fairly significant, especially for a player whose primary role is to win draws in those kinds of situations.

Grade: C+

What’s next for pending free agent Kevin Stenlund?

During Stenlund’s exit interview last month, the 29-year-old specialist expressed an interest in returning to Salt Lake City.

“We’ll see what happens,” Stenlund explained. “I really like it here. I like the guys; I like the staff…it’s been fun. It’s been cool to see how everything evolves in two years…it’s been a cool experience.”

However, Stenlund may have already revealed what the future holds for him in Utah as he recently unfollowed the Mammoth on his Instagram account.

Not that it guarantees anything, but I don’t know many professional athletes who unfollow teams on social media if they plan to sign an extension.

👀 Kevin Stenlund followed 1 new account on Instagram:

✅ @mckenziediaztv — Mckenzie Diaz
🔗 https://t.co/MOF8uhjrig#NHL #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/nZ9nEHeubk

— NHL Follow Tracker (@NHLFollowTrack) June 8, 2026

Additionally, with several of Utah’s prospects knocking on the door of potentially claiming a roster spot this fall, the team needs to let a few of their pending free agents walk this summer.

Nobody should be surprised if Stenlund is among that group.

What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?

The next notable event for the Utah Mammoth will be the NHL Draft on Friday, June 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. MT.

Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.

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