The 2025 NHL Draft is just under two weeks away with the main event on June 27-28 from Los Angeles. Follow along on TSN.ca with the latest news, rumours and speculation from around the NHL. 

Mammoth weighing options at No. 4

The Utah Mammoth are doing their due diligence as they are preparing for a range of players to be available when their time at the 2025 NHL Draft comes at the No. 4 selection.

Utah reportedly have spoken with top prospects such as Michael Misa, James Hagens, Jake O'Brien, Brady Martin, and Porter Martone during the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo last week, according to Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune.

However, general manager Bill Armstrong told Fraser that they focused on "anybody in that range" and that there isn't one player they're leaning towards.

“In this day and age, bloggers want to really write about that we teed in on one guy and, you know, it’s not the truth. You go there to meet the entire range of where you’re picking,” Armstrong told Fraser on Saturday. “We just had somebody tweet it was a certain player, but the truth is, with the range that we’re picking in — we’re gonna search out and find as many players to have extra time with. Especially with the importance of that pick.”

The Mammoth finished with a 38-31-13 record in their first season in Utah and were seven points out of the final wild-card position in the Western Conference.

Despite being in the wild-card race to finish the season, Utah jumped 10 spots in the lottery to get the fourth selection in the draft.

Utah has six picks total in the draft and are looking to upgrade their overall talent.

“Take the best player available,” Armstrong told Fraser. "That’s the biggest thing for us. So that’s our whole thought process."

Martone impressed with Utah

One of the players that Utah has had a look at is Brampton Steelheads forward Porter Martone, who was impressed with the organization.

Martone was one of the premier performers in the Ontario Hockey League last season, finishing tied for seventh in league scoring with 37 goals and 98 points.

The 6-foot-3 winger was one of three players who were eligible for the NHL Draft to make Canada's World Junior roster, recording a goal in three games. He also appeared in two games for Canada at the 2025 World Championship.

After having a meeting with the Mammoth during the NHL Scouting combine last weekend, Martone likes what he sees from the core of that organization.

"You could see the group they have there, it's something special," Martone told Cole Bagely of KSL Sports on Saturday. "They have lots of young talent, older talent as well, and I've heard nothing but great things about the organization and playing in Utah.

“They’ve got all the skill in the world…I think something special about them is that they play with an edge. They get into it. They play that gritty style game and that’s something that I like to do and something I bring to the table.”

Martone was ranked right around Utah's No. 4 pick overall by TSN's draft experts, listed at No. 3 by TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie in his draft lottery edition of his rankings and No. 4 on TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button's May rankings.

If Martone ends up in Utah, it's a place that he can see himself thriving.

“If I do get selected by Utah, I’d definitely be really excited.” said Martone. “It’s a great new organization with great staff and a great group of players…any team I get selected by; it’s going to be something special to celebrate with my family.”