Utah Mammoth Pursue Tippett for Playoff Push

0:00You're listening to NHL News Today. Subscribe now for fast, daily updates on your team. Utah Mammoth General Manager Bill Armstrong is making calls ahead of Friday's trade deadline to lock in a playoff spot for his young team, their first. Deep runs is the 2019-20 season. The Mammoth sit four points above the Western conference wildcard line, but they need more scoring punch of front to compete. Coming out of the Olympic break, they held a six-point lead, but recent gains have been shaky with two losses by multiple goals, including a shutout, against the Chicago Black Hawks. Armstrong has said the team itself dictates how aggressive to be at the deadline, and right now it is screaming for help. Fans and analysts see Nick Schmaltz as the key issue, with his contract expiring after this season, and a big raise likely coming for the 30-year-old, who has hit 20 goals and 58 points five years running. The Mammoth are in their prime contention years, and cannot tie up cap space on an aging center.

1:00That's where Philadelphia flyers when your own tip it comes in. A top-trade target with similar goal-scoring touch and elite skating speed in the top. 10% league-wide. At $6.2 million a year on a long-term deal, he matches Schmaltz's production potential without the future cost, especially paired, with stars like Clayton Keller. Adding tip in now would boost the offense for the playoff push and build depth down the middle with Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayden, giving Armstrong the perfect swap to push this roster over the top before the deadline hits. The Daily News Now is made possible with support from our sponsor. If earbuds fall out when you sleep, this is for you, a pillow with built-in sound, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.