Utah GM Bill Armstrong gets brutally honest on why $38.5M ‘elite talent’ was worth giving up Josh Doan

Utah Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong spoke on Monday about the trade that brought JJ Peterka to his team. The move sent Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to the Buffalo Sabres in June, a decision that drew a lot of attention from fans and media.

Armstrong shared why he gave up two young players to get Peterka, who is signed to a five-year $38.5 million deal (according to Spotrac). He admitted the trade was difficult because of how much the team respected Doan.

"Saw a player that wanted to win, that has elite talent," Armstrong sad, via "The Sheet with Jeff Marek." "You know, those guys are hard to find, you know, and it was tough to give up a Josh Doan. He was a big part of this organization. We loved him from the inside out."

Peterka has established himself as an important player for Utah this season, recording nine points in 10 games, with three goals and six assists. He has been one of the team’s most consistent players, especially in its wins, averaging over 16 minutes of ice time. Peterka's strong two-way play and speed have helped the Mammoth start the season with eight wins.

Armstrong said the goal was to find a player who would fit in the team’s top two lines and bring energy to its offense.

“When you get a chance to have a game breaker that you can trade for and put in your top two lines, you’ve got to go for that,” Armstrong said.

For the GM, it was about finding a player who wanted to compete and help the Mammoth win.

“We saw a player that wanted to win, wanted to be in the big moments, and would provide the effort,” Armstrong said.

He added that Peterka’s line is “probably one of the fastest lines in the National Hockey League,” although he feels Utah still has room to grow.

Dylan Guenther’s third period goal lifts Utah Mammoth to seventh straight victory

The Utah Mammoth beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Sunday at Canada Life Centre for their seventh straight win. Dylan Guenther scored the deciding goal in the third period, helped by Logan Cooley and JJ Peterka. Mikhail Sergachev and Michael Carcone also scored earlier, while goalie Vitek Vanecek made 28 saves.

After the game, Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny praised Vanecek and the team’s fourth line for their effort.

“Good performance by (Vanecek),” Tourigny said, via NHL.com. “He made key saves at key moments, and our fourth line gave us a lot of energy.”

Utah has started the season with an 8-2-0 record, showing strong team play early on.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez