The Utah Mammoth matched the one-year, $4.775 million offer sheet tendered to forward Barrett Hayton by the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.
By enacting refusal rights, the Mammoth are not allowed to trade Hayton for the next year, meaning he will remain with the team ahead of being eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.
Utah would have received a second-round pick from New Jersey as compensation had the offer sheet gone unmatched.
“Barrett is a key piece of our team and important to what we are building here in Utah,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said. “He’s strong in the faceoff 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, 26, recorded 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 67 games last season.
“I’m fired up to get back with my teammates and remain in Utah,” he said. “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 has totaled 155 points (65 goals, 90 assists) in 358 career games with the then-Arizona Coyotes/Mammoth. He was selected by the Coyotes with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
