​Through a long, painful journey of arbitration and offer sheets, Barrett Hayton returns to the Utah Mammoth. On July 1, 2026, the New Jersey Devils offered the restricted free agent a poison pill contract. The one-year contract is worth $4.775 million, making Hayton the seventh-highest-paid player on the Mammoth this year. With such a high contract, the Mammoth would surely let the center go.General Manager Bill Armstrong decided to match the offer eight days later. When asked by the media why he matched the offer, Armstrong stated:“I think he’s someone that you look from afar and you’d be like, ‘ok, where does he fit in the team?’,” said Armstrong. “But when you’re on the inside with our coaches and building the club, he does a lot of things that people can’t see.”While it’s heartwarming to see Hayton reunite with the club, this move could prove risky for Utah. Officially official! Barrett Hayton is staying with the @utahmammoth after the team matched the Devils’ offer sheet! pic.twitter.com/FTFgItTyAc— NHL (@NHL) July 8, 2026Barrett Hayton Has Shown Great Promise for MammothBeing drafted fifth overall comes with set expectations. Hayton found his stride in the third year of his career, but ultimately showed his high-pick potential his first year (2024-25) in Utah. He scored 20 goals and made 26 assists, totalling a career-high 46 points. Seven of the 20 goals were scored on the power play, ranking him the fifth-best power play scorer on the team.Hayton also placed sixth on the team in assists, making him a valuable playmaker for the Mammoth. He finally began to look like the player he got drafted to be. However, the 2025-2026 season had other plans.Barrett Hayton opens up scoring in Boston!1-0, Mammoth. pic.twitter.com/Sx94JBHveO— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 17, 2025Hayton’s Inconsistency and InjuriesHayton’s stats possess a nasty tendency to fluctuate. One year he looks like the player he got drafted to be, while other years leave fans desiring more from him.The fluctuation seems to be caused by injuries and changes to the team. In the 2022-2023 season, he scored 43 points. Then the next season he barely managed 10 points due to injuries he sustained. The same pattern continues to this day. Plus, the Arizona Coyotes relocation hung over the players’ heads the entire season.The center looked astounding his first year in Utah. However, this year he did not. Hayton quietly scored 10 goals and tallied 15 assists, totaling 25 points. Injuries resurfaced in his regression.Hayton suffered an upper-body injury near the regular season’s end, causing him to miss most of the playoffs. To make matters more difficult, Hayton, among other players, became subject to multiple line changes to fit JJ Peterka.Time to Pay UpHayton’s inconsistent play isn’t the only concern for the Mammoth; it’s his upcoming salary as well. The center will want more money once his deal ends. Since the Anaheim Ducks reset the marke