Clayton Keller carries the Utah Mammoth on his back after that golden Olympic glow, but the real question burns in Salt Lake's front office. GM Bill Armstrong eyes vets like Schmidt and Tanev to shore up the blue line while young guns like Guenther and Cooley push for extensions that could define this rebuild. If Keller's momentum sparks a playoff push in year two, Ryan Smith's expansion bet pays off big - or the desert ghosts haunt them still.

The Detroit Red Wings wrap their pre-break schedule with a tough 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth, surrendering two first-period goals that set the tone in Salt Lake City. Captain Dylan Larkin nets the lone Detroit tally on a late power play, but Karel Vejmelka stands tall for Utah while their offense clicks with contributions from Sean Durzi, Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther.