Mammoth acquire JJ Peterka from Sabres for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan
The Utah Mammoth are set to make their first big move of the summer.
According to Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli, the Mammoth have agreed in principle to a trade with the Buffalo Sabres that will see Utah acquire winger JJ Peterka.
Trade details, pending trade call:
To #TusksUp:
JJ Peterka
(Contract extension in place)
To #Sabres:
Michael Kesselring
Josh Doan
In return for Peterka, the Sabres acquire defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan in the trade.
The Mammoth also signed Peterka to a five-year extension with a $7.7 million cap hit. Peterka was a restricted free agent this summer.
Peterka extension with Utah: 5 years x $7.7 million = $38.5 million. https://t.co/xvhPGtbB7M
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 26, 2025Peterka was ranked first on Seravalli’s Trade Targets article published earlier on Wednesday, so it was a matter of when, not if, the Munich, Germany product was going to be dealt. There’s no confirmation as to whether he requested a trade or why else Peterka was being shopped, but the Sabres had been looking to move him since the trade deadline in March.
With the trade, the Mammoth bolster their top six and give themselves a winger that can score goals at an elite level and also distribute the puck. Utah were tied for 20th in goals for per game in 2024-25, so some extra finishing talent is much needed on this team. However, we don’t know if any offensive pieces are going the other way.
Peterka has seen his performance steadily grow over the course of his four-season career with the Sabres, capped off with his 27 goals and 41 assists for 68 points in 77 games that he put up in 2024-25.
Meanwhile, the Sabres improve their right defense depth by adding Kesselring, a position that they’ve particularly been lacking in in recent seasons. He’s stepped up his game in the past season, proving to be able to play in top four minutes while also having an offensive-edge to his game. They also bring in Doan, a winger who’s generally played in the bottom six up to this point, but drove play considerably well and developed a playmaking ability.
Kesselring is coming off of a career year that saw him get seven goals and 22 assists for 29 points in 82 games while stepping up into a bigger role on an injury-riddled Utah blueline. He has one year left on his contract with a $1.4 million cap hit, and will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Doan also got more of a regular role with Utah in 2024-25, getting into 51 games with seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points. He also played 28 games in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners, where he had 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points. He is in the final year of his entry-level contract this season.