- Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong is focused on his team's No. 4 overall pick.
- Top prospects include Anton Frondell, Caleb Desnoyers and Porter Martone.
- The draft begins Friday at 5 p.m. MDT, broadcasted on ESPN.
SALT LAKE CITY — Bill Armstrong says he's already forgotten that the Utah Mammoth won the lottery.
Now heading into his second NHL draft in Utah, the general manager has moved on from the May 5 miracle of jumping from No. 14 to No. 4 and is laser-focused on making the best possible decision with the team's highest pick since taking Logan Cooley at No. 3 in 2022.
"I'm over the giddiness," Armstrong said. "I think of winning the four, now we're at four. Let's go to work."
The work, as Armstrong sees it, is to now take the best player available at every pick the Mammoth have, starting with No. 4 and continuing into each of the first six rounds of this weekend's draft beginning Friday at 5 p.m. MDT on ESPN.
The No. 4 pick has the best chance of playing the soonest with the Mammoth, so let's take a look at who Utah could likely take there.
Anton Frondell, Center, Djurgarden (Allsvenskan)
Frondell has been one of the major risers during draft week, with reports now saying he won't be available past No. 3.
The dynamic Swedish forward could end up being a major steal if he falls to Utah at four, with his ability to play both the center and right wing positions.
Frondell turned 18 in May and was one of only 11 players under 18 in Sweden's second division, Allsvenskan, this season. He finished with the highest point total of any second division player aged 17 or younger in Sweden since Toronto Maple Leafs All-Star William Nylander in the 2013-14 season.
Caleb Desnoyers, Center, Moncton (QMJHL)
Desnoyers was the only player Armstrong was specifically asked about during Tuesday's draft preview press conference.
"With Mr. Desnoyers, I believe we've done our process, and we'll let you know how that one works out," Armstrong said with a bit of a grin.
The Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec native comes from a hockey family, with his older brother, Elliot, currently under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Described as a two-way player and a "coach's dream," Desnoyers is said to have the "winning intangibles" that coaches and executives so often seek out.
He helped the Moncton Wildcats win their third Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship, winning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the league's postseason MVP.
🧵 NHL DRAFT PROSPECT SERIES Continues: Caleb Desnoyers just won QMJHL playoff MVP with 30 points in 19 games.
— Broad Street Breakout (@BroadStBreakout) June 24, 2025
Power play versatility jumps off the screen. Always processing pass vs. shot. Here's why he might be perfect at #6. pic.twitter.com/Gk50p3CKez
Porter Martone, Right Wing, Brampton (OHL)
Martone is a bigger 6-foot-3 wing out of Peterborough, Ontario. He has extensive experience at the national team level, captaining Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and being selected to the All-Star team at the Under-18 Worlds after finishing second in assists and third in points.
Some doubts have been raised about his skating ability at the NHL level, in particular when it comes to speed and explosiveness, making a selection as high as No. 4 a bit more of a gamble and a bet on Utah's ability to develop and fine-tune skaters.
He serves as captain for the Brampton Steelhead of the Ontario Hockey League, however, which figures to signal a leadership quality that teams covet.
Brady Martin, Center, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Martin has had similar success to Martone at the Canada youth national team level, serving as an alternate captain at the Under-18 Worlds and being selected to the tournament All-Star Team after finishing tied for third in assists and first in plus/minus among all skaters.
He also served as alternate captain for his club, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, also known as "Soo."
Martin reportedly works on his family's farm in Elmira, Ontario, and has been said to have a "hard-nosed style."
James Hagens, Center, Boston College
The only American on this list, the New York native Hagens recently completed his first year at Boston College after coming up through the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
He has drawn comparisons to Mammoth captain Clayton Keller due to his smaller frame at 5-foot-11, and ranked fourth in points among all Division I freshmen in 2024-25.
Hagens has already made a name for himself with Team USA as well, winning a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and being named tournament MVP at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 World Championship after breaking the event's all-time scoring record to help the U.S. capture a silver medal.
Jake O'Brien, Center, Brantford (OHL)
O'Brien was last year's Rookie of the Year in the OHL and finished tied for seventh in scoring and led the league in power-play assists this season with the Brantford Bulldogs.
In January, O'Brien was appointed as the captain of the Eastern Conference team for the first-ever Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game and tallied three assists during the game to earn MVP honors.
He has been described as a "pure playmaker," with room to improve his shot at the next level. O'Brien and Hagens were both confirmed to have had dinner with the Mammoth at the NHL Combine.
