JJ Peterka #77 of the Buffalo Sabres skates during a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on November 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – General Manager Bill Armstrong yet again shocked the hockey world late on Wednesday night as the Utah Mammoth acquired 23-year-old forward JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring.
While it’s never easy to digest the departure of certain players, let’s take a deep dive on the Mammoth’s most recent talent acquisition.
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
JJ Peterka is a 23-year-old right wing from Munich, Germany.
Before his days in the NHL, Peterka made his professional debut with EHC Red Bull München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
In two seasons with München, Peterka registered 16 goals and 15 assists in 72 appearances.
The following year, Peterka was then selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round (34th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
After spending a season in the AHL with the Rochester Americans where he registered 68 points in 70 games, Peterka then officially made his NHL debut for the Sabres during the 2022-23 campaign.
Peterka was one the most sought-after trade targets in the league this summer and for good reason.
Peterka can flat out play Utah fans.
This is a huge upgrade. https://t.co/QdQIGsBYcT
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) June 26, 2025
Since making his NHL debut in 2022, the young wing has quickly evolved into a dangerous offensive threat as he’s more than doubled his point production from his rookie campaign with an 18-point increase over each of the last two seasons (36 total).
So, where does he excel?
Off the rush and in close to the net.
Now, Peterka isn’t really a power forward per say, but he thrives in close as he often crashes the net and pounces on rebounds.
He’s also an absolute menace from the right faceoff circle as he positions himself to deliver well-placed laser beams off of one-timers.
As for his game off the rush, Peterka utilizes his speed, crafty handles and hockey IQ to create dangerous situations for himself and his teammates as they aim to strike quickly.
While Peterka boasts an attractive offensive game with a ton of upside, he’s fairly lacking in terms of his defensive contributions.
According to hockeyreference.com, Buffalo allowed 3.3 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 when Peterka was on the ice.
That’s not great.
Comparing that to his new teammates in Salt Lake City, Utah allowed 2.1 with Dylan Guenther, 2.4 with Logan Cooley and 2.8 with Mikhail Sergachev on the ice during 5-on-5.
So, as he now joins a more defensive-minded team than his previous club, and a front office that prioritizes complete games from all skaters, he’ll need to be more assertive in his own zone.
This trade was a statement by Bill Armstrong.
Not only did he cement Utah’s intentions to make the playoffs next season by fleecing the Sabres for a young and highly talented scoring forward, but he also set the tone for the Mammoth’s future.
Rather than overpaying for an aging star that would put potentially put the organization into a bad contract, he stuck to process, stayed true to the timeline and alerted the NHL that Utah is indeed coming.
“We’re still building…most times you don’t win a championship until your guys are 27, 28 and 29…so we have to live in the reality of we’ve got good players, we’ve got to add players around, but we don’t need to sell the farm for a 31, 35-year-old to come in and clog our team up and then we can’t make the signing when we need it,” Armstrong shared this past week.
Related: How Will The Utah Mammoth Approach Free Agency?
With the addition of Peterka, Utah now has four forwards 26 years-old or younger that all just registered 60 points or more last season.
Coupled with the fact that Armstrong somehow avoided sending a young prospect and/or the fourth overall pick to Buffalo in this deal, it becomes clear, Utah is building something special as they continue to add to their momentum.
Following the conclusion of the Utah Mammoth’s inaugural season, the next notable event will be the NHL Draft on June 27 and 28.
After recently drawing the fourth overall draft pick in the 2025 NHL draft, each of Utah’s upcoming draft selections will be dressed in the new Utah Mammoth home sweater.
Full story: Utah Hockey Club Draws No. 4 Overall Pick In 2025 NHL Draft Lottery
