Will The Utah Mammoth Thrive Or Falter In The NHL's Competitive Central Division?

The Utah Mammoth had a solid 2025-26 season, making the playoffs and finishing fourth in the highly competitive Central Division. But the Central has only gotten tougher this summer, so we ask: will Utah keep climbing the Central ranks, or is disappointment ahead? The NHL’s toughest division of late has generally been the Central Division. When the top three teams in the Central last season – the first-place Colorado Avalanche, second-place Dallas Stars and third-place Minnesota Wild – combined for 337 standings points, you know you’re dealing with a murderer’s row of stacked teams that can go on long Stanley Cup playoff runs.Clearly, there’s a separation of sorts between the Avs, Stars and Wild, and the rest of the Central. But there’s also a second tier of teams champing at the bit to climb the Central standings and earn a post-season berth this season: the Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, and Nashville Predators have all done things this summer they believe will propel them higher in the Central ranks.Somewhere between the upper and lower tiers in the Central are the Utah Mammoth. It'll be particularly intriguing to see which tier the Mammoth attach themselves to this year. Although it may have been just one game and against a Connor Bedard-less Chicago Blackhawks, the Mammoth looked phenomenal in their season opener, winning 6-0.On the one hand, the Mammoth were only three wins behind the Wild’s total of 46, and although Minnesota finished with 12 more points than Utah, that was more because the Wild had six more overtime and/or shootout points – the hallmark of a veteran team. On the other hand, the Mammoth will definitely feel pressure from the Central’s lower-tier teams. The Jets had a nightmare season last year, and they’re currently in a nightmare predicament thanks to superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s trade demand. However, they still have the core that could turn their trajectory around. Meanwhile, the Blues finished only six points behind Utah last year. While St. Louis is transitioning from GM Doug Armstrong to successor Alexander Steen this season, the Blues are aiming not just to be competitive this year, but to return to the playoffs after one season out of the playoff mix.Finally, the re-jigged Predators poached GM Chris MacFarland from the Avalanche and made a slew of roster changes, including budding star Mavrik Bourque and veteran centers Ross Colton, Jack Drury, and Alex Kerfoot. In this writer’s opinion, the Preds still lack the high-end depth to be a playoff team, and Nashville coach Andrew Brunette could be the first coach fired this season, so he’ll be pressuring his players to come out of the gate strong and stay consistently competitive.So, this is the question for the Mammoth: will they keep evolving into something special and shake up the top end of the Central, or will they take a lateral or backward step? There’s a reason why we had Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota in the top three of our Central prediction. The Avs, Wild, and Stars have elite players at multiple positions, sufficient depth to sustain them through injuries, and a defense corps ranking among the league’s best. We’re not sure Utah can boast all three. Don’t get it twisted, though – we’re not suggesting Utah can’t elevate and challenge to earn a top-three spot in the Central. But we’re also not 100 percent convinced the Mammoth will stave off pushes from Winnipeg, Nashville and St. Louis.It’s hard out there for a Central team, that’s for sure. The Central is shaping up to be even more competitive this season, and that says a lot. And the Mammoth now have a golden opportunity to establish themselves as a true threat in a brutal division – or to fall by the wayside, be hurdled by multiple teams, and be forced to search for bigger, macro answers at season’s end.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.