u/TentacleHockey

I could be way off, but my first thought is this either pushes Utah toward exploring a trade, or it’s a reality check that Hayton’s value has fallen. Filing for arbitration suggests there’s a significant gap between what Hayton believes he’s worth and what Utah is willing to pay.

That said, arbitration is also pretty common for RFAs. A lot of players file and then agree to a contract before it ever gets to a hearing, so this could just be part of the negotiation process.

Either way, I hope Utah doesn’t give him a raise. He needs to take a pay cut and prove he wants to become the player he was supposed to be.

:edit: grammar.

Maybe its because I'm a coder and they are clearly pushing this new 'You have a new rate limit reset available' options. But based on normal workflow I'm receiving roughly 1/5th less tokens than normal. Anyone else noticing this?

This is my opinion based on a mix of rumors, articles, contract projections, player stats, and roster construction. Curious what other Mammoth fans think.

My current prediction:

- Stenlund walks in free agency. Great PK player and faceoff guy, but I think another team pays more than Utah wants to.

- Kerfoot leaves because he is asking too much, with Daniil But eventually taking his spot at a much lower cap while adding more size.

- Hayton stays, moves to 4C. His offensive production hasn't justified a large contract, but we need faceoff wins especially with Stenny most likely leaving. Hayton focuses on defensive/PK role since PP was a bust.

- McBain remains the 3C. His physicality, faceoffs, and overall style fit that role perfectly.

- Schmaltz remains 1C for now. Cooley is the future, but he stays developing in 2C.

- Cole is out, Simashev takes his spot.

- Yamamoto most likely to stay BUT the biggest battle isn't Yamamoto vs Iginla. It's Peterka vs Iginla.

Peterka has the offensive skill and NHL experience, but Iginla projects as the stronger 200-foot player. If Tij develops as expected, he wins that top-6 LW spot.

Basically, the Mammoth already have their core. This offseason feels more about deciding which young players get the opportunity to become the next wave of impact players.