Overview

• The Utah Mammoth have secured their top defense prospect, 2023 sixth overall pick Dmitri Simashev, with a three-year entry-level contract.
• Simashev’s NHL signing rights shifted from the Arizona Coyotes to Utah after Smith Entertainment Group acquired Arizona’s hockey operations assets.
• The 20-year-old won the Gagarin Cup with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl while averaging just under 16 minutes per game in the regular season and appearing in all 21 playoff contests.
• At 6-foot-5 and 207 pounds, he is regarded as a potential top-four shutdown defenseman though his offensive upside is limited.
• His contract takes effect next season regardless of NHL games played and will leave him as a restricted free agent after the 2027-28 campaign.