NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 03: JJ Peterka #77 of the Utah Mammoth in action against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on January 03, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils won 4-1. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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 JJ Peterka.
Stats: 88 GP, 25 goals, 22 assists, +3 plus/minus
Seeking additional firepower amongst their top six in pursuit of a playoff berth, the Utah Mammoth made one of the bigger splashes on the trade market last summer as they acquired 23-year-old forward JJ Peterka from Buffalo for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan.
While many Mammoth fans now question the results of that deal nearly a year later, let’s take a closer look at what Peterka accomplished during his first year in Salt Lake City.
Trade confirmed: The Utah Mammoth are trading Josh Doan & Michael Kesselring for Buffalo forward JJ Peterka.
Peterka has signed a 5 year $38.5M extension.
No picks involved.#TusksUp
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) June 26, 2025
Following a career-best 68-point season (27 G, 41A) for the Sabres in 2024-25, expectations for No. 77 were incredibly high coming into this year and rightfully so.
Upon joining a more talented roster outfitted with complimentary young skill and expectations to make the postseason, Peterka seemed equipped to thrive.
So, what happened?
To be completely fair, 77’s regular season shouldn’t necessarily be classified as bad as he still produced 25 goals (only two less than the previous year) and 22 assists in 82 appearances.
JJ PETERKA SCORES AGAINST THE SABRES 😱 pic.twitter.com/f9Vm1mpgh6
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 13, 2025
JJ Peterka shot out of a ROCKET 🚀 pic.twitter.com/03n2rjghnT
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) October 16, 2025
Additionally, Peterka was also an entirely different player defensively as he finished the regular season with a plus/minus of +6 while lowering his on-ice goals against per 60 minutes in all situations from 3.6 the previous year to a career-best 2.2.
That’s significantly better.
However, while the regular season may have been considered fine, this year was still fairly disappointing as he witnessed a 21-point decrease (30.6 percent) in terms of offensive production, failed to truly discover his role, eventually dropped into the bottom six, and was simply abysmal in the playoffs.
Upon acclimating to a new system, there was always going to be a fairly significant learning curve for 77.
That’s just how it goes.
Not only did he have to adjust to a different style, but he was playing for a better team compared to his final season in Buffalo.
“The transition, I don’t think it was exactly easy for him,” General Manager Bill Armstrong explained. “I thought he excelled at times…he’d probably be the first to tell you that he’s looking for a little bit more consistent performance during the course of the year.”
“I think it takes time. I don’t think some transitions are as easy as others.”
While Armstrong’s words are absolutely true, that still doesn’t excuse a 30 percent regression, being benched in a playoff game or dropping to the fourth line.
Peterka is simply too good for that, and the club deserves better after investing nearly $40M over five years.
So, what needs to change?
Peterka needs to enter the offseason unsettled and work harder than he ever has before.
Similar to how Crouse refused to settle for his performance in 2024, Peterka should follow the exact same process to return to form.
“I like him,” Armstrong added. “I think his skillset is really good.
“I know JJ just built a rink in his house so pretty sure he’s going to be hungry and skating all summer.”
The goals for Peterka should be pretty simple next season.
Continue to play at a high level defensively, get back into the top six, produce close to 60 or more points and help the team return to the postseason.
If he’s able to reach those benchmarks and understands that his performance in year one cannot be repeated, he’ll be just fine.
The next notable event for the Utah Mammoth will be the NHL Draft on Friday, June 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. MT.
