Utah Mammoth PTO signings: Opening camp with a pragmatic burst of roster engineering: seven professional tryout agreements designed to deepen competition and stabilize their call-up ladder with Tucson. The invites include forwards Austin Poganski, Ryan McGregor, Ty Tullio, and Samuel (Sammy) Walker; defenseman Lleyton Moore; and goaltenders Dylan Wells and Dryden McKay. Two of those players—Poganski and Wells—already have organizational ties for 2025–26 via Tucson, while the other five arrive to fight for either two-way NHL deals or AHL contracts.
Why seven PTOs—and why now
September is the season of contingency planning. Camps inevitably throw curveballs: minor injuries, surprise performances, and the annual tug-of-war between NHL roster limits and AHL depth needs. By stacking multiple PTOs early, Utah can audition specific role types (forechecking winger, utility center, right-shot depth, puck-moving defender, third goalie) without committing cap space or term. If a candidate pops, the club can pivot quickly to a contract; if not, they leave camp better informed and no worse off.
There’s also an organizational efficiency angle. With Tucson expected to shoulder meaningful development and injury-insurance duties, having extra AHL-ready bodies in camp helps the Mammoth sort lines and special-teams roles before the AHL preseason ramps up.
Player-by-player view of Utah Mammoth PTO signings
Austin Poganski, RW
A returning leader for Tucson, Poganski’s PTO functions as a paper bridge into NHL sessions. Last season he wore the “C” in Tucson and produced 41 points (15 goals) across a full AHL slate, the kind of steady five-on-five play and penalty-kill reliability that coaches trust. Don’t overthink this one: he’s a tone-setter who raises the floor of any line he’s on.
Dylan Wells, G
Wells enters his third season in Tucson as a dependable depth goaltender. His recent AHL sample carried a .900 save percentage and 2.89 GAA in limited appearances—solid numbers for a netminder who toggles between AHL backup and heavier ECHL workloads when needed. In NHL camp, he helps manage preseason minutes and provides a benchmark for the other invite in goal.
Ryan McGregor, C
McGregor is the familiar face at center—five pro seasons spent entirely with Tucson, where he’s carved out a bottom-six utility profile. Over 200+ AHL games he’s delivered a balanced 24-44-68 scoring line, plus the trust that comes with clean defensive habits. He fits multiple slots: fourth-line pivot, penalty-kill duty, or matchup winger in a pinch.
Dryden McKay, G
The former Hobey Baker winner arrives with a well-traveled résumé and a .904 SV% over 99 ECHL games these past three years. The plan reads straightforward: take NHL-speed reps, absorb the organization’s goalie-coaching tweaks, then be ready to carry a starter’s share if he’s assigned down the ladder. Even if he doesn’t stick, his camp time tightens the club’s emergency-depth picture.
Lleyton Moore, D
At 5-foot-8 and 179 pounds, Moore doesn’t fit the archetype of a bruising third-pair defender—but he moves pucks. Two seasons into his pro career (both with Tucson), he’s shown flashes of transition value and a +5 cumulative rating across 46 AHL games. Camp priority one: clean exits under forecheck heat. Priority two: show enough poise at the line to audition for second-unit power play touches in the AHL.
Ty Tullio, RW
A 2020 fifth-round pick, Tullio’s 2024–25 featured a mid-season reset that ended with 8 points in 13 AHL games after a loan to Calgary’s affiliate. The attraction is obvious: quick release, second-layer offense, and the motor to keep up with speed lines. If he stacks good shifts in exhibition, he’s a live candidate for either a two-way or a prominent AHL scoring role.
Samuel (Sammy) Walker, C/W
Walker brings the most NHL time among the unsigned invites—13 games, 1 goal and 1 assist—and translated well after landing in the Mammoth system, posting 22 points in 31 for Tucson. He profiles as first-call-up material if he wins a deal: pace, forecheck pressure, and just enough finish to hang in top-nine looks during injuries.
The camp calculus: who’s competing for what
- NHL bubble, forward: Walker and Tullio have the clearest “win a two-way” path if they sustain offense and hold their own defensively.
- AHL leadership and stability: Poganski and McGregor are plug-and-play depth who make coaches comfortable rolling four lines.
- Third-pair puck mover: Moore’s edge is retrievals and first pass; a good camp could make him an early AHL regular.
- Goaltending stack: Wells’ familiarity gives him the inside track for AHL backup; McKay’s workload history makes him valuable when schedules compress.
What success looks like (weeks 1–3)
- Forwards: Positive shot-share vs. depth competition, strong retrieval rates, and consistent second effort on the backcheck.
- Defense: Controlled exits above team baseline, minimal failed clears, and clean blue-line holds on the PP2 audition.
- Goalies: Save percentage stabilizing above camp average, rebound control in traffic, and assertive puck-handling to jump-start exits.
Why PTOs are smart business here
PTOs cost little, reveal a lot. They let the Mammoth observe chemistry in real systems, not projections on a whiteboard. If only one or two deals are awarded, the process still pays off by calibrating Tucson’s depth chart, dialing in special-teams units, and creating a ready list of outside options if injuries hit mid-season.
Bottom line
Utah’s seven PTOs are targeted inventory adds: leadership and reliability up front, a puck-moving look on the back end, and two goalies to smooth out preseason workload—each move aimed at making the NHL bench more flexible and the AHL bench more formidable. Even if the headlines go to bigger summer deals, these are the signings that keep a season on the rails when the calendar turns messy.
