The Utah Mammoth acquired forward JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday and promptly signed him to a five-year, $38.5 million contract.
The Sabres, in turn, received defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan for Peterka, who was in line to become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Peterka, 23, recorded 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) in 77 games this past season.
“JJ is a highly skilled, creative, young forward with extremely high upside,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said. “He will help solidify our scoring and add to what is already a great young core of forwards on the roster. Signing JJ to a long-term extension is another positive step towards building a sustainable contender here in Utah, and today is an exciting day for our entire organization.”
Peterka has totaled 150 points (67 goals, 83 assists) in 238 career games since being selected by Buffalo in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
“There is a lot of excitement and positive momentum surrounding our team right now, and adding a player of JJ Peterka’s caliber and offensive upside is another great step towards achieving our objectives as a group,” Utah president Chris Armstrong said.
Kesselring, 25, had 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 82 games this past season for Utah.
He has 53 points (12 goals, 41 assists) in 156 career games with the Oilers and Arizona Coyotes/Utah franchise since being selected by Edmonton in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He was traded by the Oilers on March 2, 2023, along with a third-round draft pick in 2023 to the Coyotes for Nick Bjugstad and Cam Dineen.
Doan, the son of former NHL forward Shane Doan, had 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 51 games this past season for Utah. The 23-year-old has totaled 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 62 career games since being selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
“One of our priorities as we work through this offseason is making our team more competitive and tougher to play against,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. “The additions of Michael and Josh will help us tremendously in both of those categories and I am excited to see them in a Sabres uniform soon.
“Michael fits the mold of the right-handed defensemen we have been looking for, and we are thrilled he brings both size and compete. We believe he will help add balance to our blue line while elevating the rest of the D corps. Josh is a player that has shown the ability to win at multiple levels and brings great leadership pedigree to our organization. He’s a strong two-way player who we believe will be able to provide versatility to our group.”
–Field Level Media
