After extending Nico Hischier and signing a couple of free agents, Sunny Mehta and the New Jersey Devils broke a two-year silence on a popular armchair-GM move, with Utah Mammoth center Barrett Hayton signing a one-year, $4.775 million offer sheet Wednesday evening. The theoretical compensation for the contract is a second-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Hayton, 26, has spent his entire career with the Arizona Coyotes-Utah Mammoth franchise, being drafted by them fifth overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In his seven-year career, he has accumulated 65 goals and 90 assists for 155 points in 358 career games.
While not quite living up to the hype of a former fifth-overall selection, Hayton has consistently put up excellent underlying metrics, sporting a career 51.7% expected goal share (xGF%) according to HockeyStats.com. Most of that is by virtue of his defensive prowess, being a premier asset in his own zone in the last three or so seasons.
The Mammoth were already at a logjam up front after a July 1 that saw them add Anders Lee and Kevin Stenlund via free agency and Vincent Trocheck via trade. With that, they have 14 forwards making at least $1 million in 2026-27. Being that Hayton is an expiring RFA, it's certainly possible that he wasn't in their plans moving forward to begin with.
To add to that perplexing situation are the rules surrounding offer sheets. If Utah chooses to match the contract, they are ineligible to trade him for a calendar year, and he would be walked right to UFA. Essentially, what this means is that Hayton both must be a part of the plan for this season and that the Mammoth must be confident in their ability to re-sign him beyond this deal.
It's a bold, bold move for Mehta, and one that makes a lot of sense given what the Devils need and what their other moves have signified for a plan. The Mammoth have one week to decide if they want to match the $4.775 million deal and retain the services of who has been a staple in their top-nine for a number of seasons. If not, the Devils will be glad to send them a second-round pick in exchange for his services.
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