Guenther taking ‘another step forward’ as part of Mammoth’s youth movement

Dylan Guenther feels it is all coming together for the Utah Mammoth this season.

A new identity, freshly renovated arena, the unveiling of a stylish mascot and a talented roster are contributing to the positive energy surrounding Utah in its second season.

The destination is a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“We’ve gotten better every year I’ve been in the organization, so this year the goal is to make the playoffs,” Guenther told NHL.com. “For us to do that, every game is big; it’s not just the ones in March, we have to win in October and November and make sure we come out ready. We all realize that and understand that there are some expectations on us this year.”

Guenther is among those bearing the weight of expectations this season. The 22-year-old forward is entering his second full NHL season after playing parts of two seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. Guenther is in the first of an eight-year contract he signed with Utah on Sept. 20, 2024.

He has four points (two goals, two assists) in five games for the Mammoth this season entering their game against the Boston Bruins at Delta Center on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; Utah16, NHLN, NESN, SN360, TVAS).

Utah (3-2-0) has won its past two games, each at home, including 6-3 against the San Jose Sharks on Friday. Guenther received 17:34 of ice time.

“I think personally, I just have to continue to build, try to stay healthy and get a little bit better every day,” said Guenther, the No. 9 pick by Arizona at the 2021 NHL Draft. “Last year was my first full year, and now I understand the demands of the schedule and the mentality. I felt myself getting a little run down [at] Christmas and January last year, so it’s just about being smart, taking care of myself and making sure I’m ready to go every game.

“If I feel good, I feel like I’m going to play well. I just have to make sure I take care of the things that maybe I didn’t understand or knew when I was younger.”

Utah (38-31-13) was in a hunt for a playoff berth last season until struggling down the stretch. It finished seven points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Guenther knows how important it is for the Mammoth to have a strong start this season and find consistency, especially with how he and his teammates have been treated since relocating to Utah from Arizona.

“I think we’ve taken another step forward with the rebranding and the renovations to the arena,” Guenther said. “They took the whole summer off from concerts and whatnot to renovate it, so we have a new rink and a new practice facility.

“They are really investing in us, and now we have to give it back to them too.”

Guenther is also hoping to elevate his offensive production this season. He’s had success thus far on Utah’s second line with center Logan Cooley and right wing JJ Peterka.

Last season, Guenther had 60 points (27 goals, 33 assists) in 70 games.

“I think [we’re] just playing fast, just attacking the game, not waiting it out,” Guenther said. “I think the team is still feeling it out, working through our structure, working through the chemistry.”

He is part of an exciting youth moment in Utah, along with forwards Peterka (23), Cooley (21), Barrett Hayton (25) and Jack McBain (25) and defenseman Dmitri Simashev (20), but the Mammoth have also brought in established veterans to supplement the roster. Defenseman Nate Schmidt (34) and forward Brandon Tanev (33) were among those acquired during the offseason to help accelerate the process.

“We have a great veteran team,” Guenther said. “We have a lot of guys that have won Cups like Mikhail Sergachev, (Tampa Bay Lightning, 2020, 2021), Kevin Stenlund (Florida Panthers, 2024), Ian Cole and Olli Maatta (Pittsburgh Penguins, 2016, 2017) … they’ve all been there. So, we’re integrating an older winning culture into some younger guys and building a foundation that way.”

Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny is pleased with what he’s seen from Guenther early this season.

“His pace is unbelievable so far,” Tourigny said. “The way he works, he’s relentless. He’s on pucks, he attacks off the rush, he attacks from down low, he has multiple points of attack.

“I still think his line has -- they were really good, they’ve been really good -- but they still have a lot of growth, a lot of moments in the game, on the forecheck, on the [offensive]-zone play where they can generate even more movement, more speed, more being on top of their opponent, and I think the sky’s the limit for them.”

NHL independent correspondent Matt Komma contributed to this report