I was out in my driveway, getting some practice in for the Mammoth 3v3 tournament, when my phone buzzed with an unexpected alert. It read: “Utah Mammoth is close to agreeing to a deal for J.J. Peterka!”.
Draft: Selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, 34th overall, in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Current Team: Utah Mammoth (as of July 15, 2025). He was acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres and subsequently signed a five-year, $38.5 million contract ($7.7 million AAV).
NHL Debut: December 29, 2021.
Playing Style:Known as a “full-throttle winger tailor-made for the modern NHL,” showcasing “outstanding functional athleticism” and “stellar movement skills.”
A hard-working, two-way forechecking forward.
Possesses fast straight-line skating, especially without the puck. Utilizes a low center of gravity to evade hits and maintain strong balance.
Constantly active, scanning the ice, and demonstrating relentless effort (making second and third efforts).
Effective in transition and zone entries.
Considered a “complete package” player, displaying intelligence with and without the puck.
Has shown significant growth in the defensive aspects of his game.
Exhibits good playmaking ability and vision. His shooting ability is decent, and he effectively finds open space for one-timers.
Career Highlights (as of the end of the 2024-25 season):
Through three full NHL seasons, he has played 238 NHL games, accumulating 67 goals and 83 assists for 150 career points.
In the 2024-25 season, he set new career highs with 41 assists, 68 points, 6 power-play goals, 12 power-play assists, and 18 power-play points in 77 games. He also scored 27 goals that season.
Recorded his first NHL hat trick on January 28, 2025, against the Boston Bruins.
Was a key offensive contributor for the Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25, ranking among the team leaders in goals, assists, and points.
Previously played in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Rochester Americans, where he led all rookies in goals and points in the 2021-22 season with 68 points (28 goals, 40 assists) in 70 games.
Played professionally in Germany for EHC Red Bull München (DEL) and EC Red Bull Salzburg (ICEHL) before coming to North America.
Represented Germany internationally in various tournaments, including the World Juniors and World Championships, winning a silver medal at the World Championships in 2023.
Background: Played hockey, soccer, and was a short-track speed skater growing up. His family had no prior hockey background before he started playing.
“My overall thoughts on the trade with Buffalo are positive for Utah. Michael Kesselring is a great defender and will do great things for the Sabres; Utah maximized their opportunity by trading him at his highest value on the market. Josh Doan is going to be great, and I’m glad to see him get away from the Utah/Arizona attachment. He can now develop as Josh Doan, without that historical link anymore.”
“Utah is getting a player who’s played in 238 games, with 67 goals and 83 assists, totaling 150 points. He has a fantastic -6 plus/minus ratio and a total of 527 shots on goal. He’s under the age of 24 and ranks in the top 10 of players under the age of 23-24.”
“I think Peterka will help his teammates get even better—Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Nick Schmaltz. He’ll help Utah get to 100-110 points and make the postseason. And who knows, they could even win a first-round series, helping Utah make a name for themselves in that stacked Central Division. I could see Peterka putting up a 40-goal, 80-point season, and also helping Utah’s power play go from mediocre to great, establishing another under-23 elite goal scorer for the Mammoth.”
Overall, I think this trade helps both Utah and Buffalo, and we’ll see how it turns out. I also want to note, Peterka not even questioning and resigning an extension in Utah shows his commitment towards winning in Utah, and he has said he’s so excited to play in Utah. As a fan of the Mammoth, I would really want to see Peterka on the second line with Barron, Hayton, and Dylan Guenther and see his playmaking helping the first power-play unit, constantly helping with goal scoring and shooting, and attacking the red line.”
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