Overview
- Utah announced on Wednesday that it matched New Jersey’s one-year, $4.775 million offer sheet and signed Barrett Hayton for the 2026–27 season.
- By matching, the Mammoth keep Hayton but cannot trade him for one year and he may become an unrestricted free agent after the contract expires.
- Hayton, 26, is a former No. 5 overall pick who had 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 67 games last season and has 155 points in 358 career NHL games.
- The Devils walk away without adding Hayton’s $4.775 million cap hit, preserving roughly $4.8 million in flexibility and avoiding the 2027 second-round pick they would have surrendered.
- The episode highlights an uptick in offer-sheet use this offseason and creates a logjam at center in Utah that will force lineup and cap decisions before next season.