The New Jersey Devils took their shot. Bill Armstrong said no thanks.
Utah’s general manager matched the offer sheet the Devils sent to forward Barrett Hayton on Wednesday, locking the 26-year-old into a one-year deal worth $4.775 million. The move keeps Hayton in Utah for another season and blocks New Jersey’s attempt to poach him with a contract the Mammoth would have had to think about — and apparently didn’t think about all that long.
“I’m fired up to get back with my teammates and remain in Utah,” Hayton said in the team’s announcement. “I’ve been with this core group for my whole career and it’s exciting that we have an opportunity to do some special things next season in front of the best fans in the NHL.”
Hayton is coming off a season that looked a lot like his career before it: fine, not flashy. He put up 10 goals and 25 points in 67 games last season, then played once in the playoffs before Utah got bounced by Vegas in six games. Not the kind of production that usually sparks a bidding war. But the Devils saw something they liked, and Armstrong wasn’t willing to let him walk for nothing.
Why Utah Said Yes
If Utah had let Hayton go, they’d have gotten a second-round pick as compensation. That’s not nothing. But Armstrong clearly values what Hayton brings beyond the box score.
“Barrett is a key piece of our team and important to what we are building here in Utah,” Armstrong said. “He’s strong in the face-off circle, plays both sides of the puck and can play with anyone in our forward group. We are grateful to be able to count on Barrett in our lineup next season.”
Hayton was originally picked fifth overall by the Arizona Coyotes back in 2018. That draft capital means people have been waiting for him to pop for a while. And to be fair, he did show something in 2024-25, setting career highs with 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points. The Mammoth are betting that version of Hayton shows up more consistently next year.
Over his 358-game NHL career, he’s got 155 points. Solid. Not spectacular. But for a team still figuring out its identity in a new city, keeping a homegrown center who can win draws and play up and down the lineup makes sense.
What the Offer Sheet Means Going Forward
There’s a catch built into the offer sheet rules. Hayton can’t be traded until July of next year, when he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent. That gives Utah roughly one season to figure out if he’s part of the long-term picture. They can sign him to an extension anytime after January 1 though, so the clock isn’t ticking all that loud just yet.
The Devils, for their part, came up empty here. But offer sheets are a low-risk gamble for teams with cap space. New Jersey offered a contract Utah might not have wanted to match, and when the Mammoth did match it, the Devils lost nothing but the time it took to file paperwork.
This whole saga also keeps the spotlight on Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson and his offer sheet from the Flyers. That one’s still unresolved, but a decision is expected before the weekend. Carlsson’s situation drew more attention because of the money and the surprise factor. Hayton’s was quieter, more procedural. But both offer sheets forced teams to make real choices about which players they believe in.
Utah made theirs. Now they get to see if it pays off.
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