Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Nick DeSimone – The Hockey Writers Utah Mammoth Latest News, Analysis & More

The inaugural season for the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) is officially over. The team finished with a 38-31-13 record while their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, finished with a 34-32-4-2 record, which was good enough for the seventh playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Roadrunners went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks.

With the season in the books, it’s time to look at the 48 Utah players under an NHL contract (excluding Connor Ingram for obvious reasons) and grade their 2024-25 seasons. We’ll also reflect on how they did during the 2023-24 season and see if they improved or did worse, along with what their future holds. We’re going alphabetically by first name. Next up is Nick DeSimone.

Last Season

DeSimone started off the 2023-24 season on the Calgary Flames, his third year within the organization. In the previous season, after signing a two-year extension, the defenseman made his first-ever NHL appearance. In 2023-24, although not expected to play a significantly larger role, DeSimone aimed to become a more regular NHL player.

DeSimone started the season in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers. While he went pointless in the first three games, he avoided any costly defensive mistakes and looked solid for the team. It culminated in a three-point night against the Abbotsford Canucks in his fourth AHL game. He played two more games, registering one more assist, before being called up to the NHL.

DeSimone made his NHL season debut against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 4. He ended up producing his first-ever NHL point in the same game as well. He produced two more assists in the next game to bring his point total up to three points in two games.

While the New York native produced only one assist in the next six games, he looked decent on the Flames’ bottom pair. He played as high as 15 minutes some nights and often wasn’t on the ice when the other team scored. Despite this, DeSimone was sent back down to the AHL on Nov. 26.

Related: Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Nick Bjugstad

In his second stint with the Wranglers, DeSimone did everything in his power to show he should be in the NHL. He recorded 10 shots in four games and was a plus-3. On top of that, he had four assists in those games. On Dec. 12, he was once again recalled by the Flames.

Back up in the NHL, DeSimone went pointless in his first four. In his fifth game back against the Anaheim Ducks, he scored his first goal of the season, which ended up being the game-winner in a 3-0 Flames win. It was also his first-ever NHL goal.

DeSimone played 10 more games with the Flames. While he continued playing on the bottom pair, his plus/minus stat kept getting worse. It finally came to a breaking point when his pairing was responsible for two goals in a close 4-3 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

DeSimone sat out the next two games as the Flames lost each of them. He and teammate Adam Ružička were placed on waivers on Jan. 24. The next day, he was claimed by the New Jersey Devils, ending his time in the Flames organization.

Despite being claimed and getting a fresh start, DeSimone waited more than a month to make his Devils debut, but when he did, it was one of the biggest games in his NHL career. Against the Dallas Stars, he played nearly 25 minutes, making multiple blocks and producing an assist to help the Devils and newcomer Jake Allen win against one of the best teams in the NHL. All while not playing an NHL game for eight weeks.

In the next game against the Arizona Coyotes, DeSimone scored his first goal with the Devils while playing 16 minutes. The goal was his last of the 2023-24 season, but he continued being a strong piece on the Devils’ blue line despite his ice time going back to normal. He played nine more games before the end of the 2023-24 season.

In 34 games split between the Flames and Devils, DeSimone had seven points and two goals. He ended the season as a plus-3. With the Flames, he had an average ice time of 12:03. It was with the Devils where he showed that he can be a reliable extra defenseman who can easily step into the lineup, thanks to his 16:29 of average ice time.

With his contract expiring and his good play while with the Devils, DeSimone earned a one-year extension with the team.

This Season

DeSimone started the 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Utica Comets. The Comets were a bad team to start the season, going winless in their first nine games. DeSimone’s stats suffered due to this. He was a minus in the plus/minus category for eight of his first nine games.

DeSimone got his first NHL call-up of the season on Nov. 8. He didn’t play a single game for the Devils, eventually being sent down on Nov. 17 and recalled again the next day. He remained a healthy scratch until Dec. 11, when he rejoined the Comets. 

DeSimone played three games for the Comets in December, recording his second point of the AHL season in his second game back. Unlike his first stint with the team, his defensive numbers didn’t suffer. On Dec. 27, he received his third NHL call-up of the season.

Unfortunately for DeSimone, his third call-up with the Devils resulted once again in him appearing in zero NHL games. On Jan. 4, he was placed on waivers with the purpose of assignment to the AHL for the fourth time in 2024-25. However, with injury issues on their blue line, Utah claimed DeSimone, giving him his third NHL home in the past year.

Five days later, DeSimone made his Utah debut. Just like in his first appearance with the Devils, he made an immediate impact, tallying an assist on a pairing with Juuso Välimäki. He played most of January for Utah, producing his second career multi-point game in the month against the Minnesota Wild.

DeSimone played most of early February as well. However, with the return of John Marino, he spent a month in the press box until making his return to the lineup in March in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. In the game, he scored his first goal with Utah.

Utah goal!

Scored by Nick DeSimone with 11:39 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Alexander Kerfoot and Kevin Stenlund.

Chicago: 0
Utah: 1#UTAvsCHI #Blackhawks #UtahHC pic.twitter.com/Q2zhyTc0im

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 30, 2025

With Välimäki being sent down to the Roadrunners, DeSimone finished out his first year in Utah, mainly playing with Olli Määttä. He played well, paired with the Finnish defenseman, producing one more assist in his final five games of the season in April.

In 20 games with Utah, DeSimone had six points in 20 games. He finished as a plus-4 and had an average ice time of 15:35. Despite limited time on the team, he fit in well with head coach André Tourigny, helping Utah stay afloat when players like Marino, Sean Durzi, and others were injured.

“I think I proved I can play nightly and help the team,” DeSimone said. “Every night, I feel like you still have to prove it. I think coming in and playing my game again, I think I fit in with the system we play, fast-moving pucks and stuff like that. I think it was a good fit for me, and I was able to play with some good partners and obviously on a great team.”

After being placed on waivers numerous times throughout the past year, DeSimone came to Utah with a big opportunity in front of him. He was pretty much guaranteed a roster spot with multiple defensemen injured, and he did exactly what he should’ve done: made the most of it. Even when those players returned and he was removed from the lineup, DeSimone didn’t complain; rather, he once again proved he should be a part of the blue line every time he was in a game.

“I feel like throughout my career, I’ve kind of always had to fight to prove that I belong and can wear the jersey on a nightly basis,” DeSimone said. “Being put on waivers is obviously a humbling experience, but to be picked up, you never know what it’s going to be like, and I’m thankful that it was a positive experience for me.”

With his contract once again expiring, DeSimone expressed a desire to return to the team during media day. He cited the Utah organization as a place where he felt comfortable both on and off the ice. He also felt like he fit into the locker room and the team more than in other places he had gone.

“Coming to a place like Utah really helped,” DeSimone said. “Fitting in with the guys in the room has been great, and the coaching staff was great. You hear everybody talk about it from the top down, the way we get treated, and day to day here is great. That really helped the transition. I would like to be back. I feel like I fit in well on and off the ice.”

During Utah’s inaugural offseason, the team made a mistake by not getting enough solid depth on their blue line. It destroyed their chances of making the playoffs when key players like Durzi and Marino were injured, and guys they thought they could rely on, like Välimäki, failed to impress. Wanting not to go through that pain again, DeSimone was brought back on a one-year, one-way deal to ensure they have enough defensemen for the season.

The Future

Extending DeSimone could be one of the most underrated moves the Mammoth made this past summer. As the team expects to make the playoffs next season, they’ll need all the help they can get, including defensemen who can easily step into the lineup whenever needed. DeSimone is exactly that.

While he won’t be an every-night player, whenever guys like Mikhail Sergachev need a maintenance night or players are injured, DeSimone will be easy to insert into the lineup. He has good chemistry with Määttä and has proved he can play high minutes. He is also growing into a veteran at 30 years old, which is great for younger players on the blue line.

A lot of people are writing off DeSimone. The Mammoth did sign top defensive prospect Dmitriy Simashev and Nate Schmidt. Schmidt will likely beat out DeSimone in the lineup, which is okay because there is a slot open with the departure of Michael Kesselring. However, DeSimone should have an advantage over Simashev in being the Mammoth’s seventh defenseman.

DeSimone has played in the NHL for the past four seasons. He has been around the team a couple of months longer than Simashev. People also seem to forget that Simashev has never played pro hockey in North America and will need time to adjust. Sitting in the press box won’t be beneficial for him. It’s okay if DeSimone does it. He knows his role and doesn’t need to develop like the Russian prospect.

It can’t be emphasized enough that DeSimone is an excellent seventh defenseman to keep on the roster in case of injury. He’s proven, confident, and hard-working. It helps the Mammoth a lot, so they don’t have to rush guys like Simashev and Maveric Lamoureux from the AHL in case injuries pop up. Eventually, the entire blue line will be a giant question mark if Simashev and Lamoureux pop off in the AHL, but for now, having DeSimone in the NHL is great for him, the team, and the development of the prospects.

Now, what does DeSimone need to work on? His defensive play needs to continue to improve, and a little bit more offense would be nice for his game. Proving to the coaching staff that he can continue to play high minutes is also a necessity. Honestly, if he doesn’t win a spot on the blue line on opening night, he just has to continue to do what he’s been doing. Making the most of an opportunity when it comes to him.

An opportunity to play will arise for DeSimone. Tourigny and the coaching staff aren’t afraid to bench underperforming players, and you can count on injuries popping up. What he does with that opportunity will be up to him, but as he showed throughout his short time so far with the Mammoth, he’ll play the best he can.

Final Grade

He’s not a player many speak about, but DeSimone was and will be an important part of the Mammoth. The team is trying to avoid having a rough beginning to the season and having more consistency throughout it, which is something that hurt their playoff chances in their inaugural season. 

Part of the reason why that happened was because their blue line was damaged early on. Players like Välimäki and Vladislav Kolyachonok didn’t impress the coaching staff, and defense became a question mark for the team. The acquisitions of DeSimone and Määttä completely changed the team’s course. Even when players returned, DeSimone was rotated in and out of the lineup and played a solid game when he was in.

Overall, DeSimone is getting a B for his season. While he didn’t get a chance to play with the Devils in the first half of the season, he proved he belongs in the NHL, perhaps full-time, when he was acquired by Utah. He’s an excellent depth defenseman who probably won’t play every night but will fit in like a glove when he does play.

It will be interesting to see if his game improves thanks to some stability and the ability to play with the Mammoth for a full season, unlike last season. Even at the rare chance he gets sent down to the Roadrunners, he’ll immediately step into the top four and improve the blue line. It could be a situation like Kailer Yamamoto, where he gets sent up and down all the time, but thanks to his play in 2024-25, he deserves more than that.

It’s been an interesting training camp so far, and with guys like Simashev and Scott Perunovich still up in the NHL battling for a spot on the blue line, DeSimone will have to continue to give it his all until the very end. However, he’s done that since before his first NHL game with the Flames. There’s always been a chip on his shoulder. More than most on the Mammoth, he’s used to the feeling of being on the verge of being out of the NHL, and he performs well with that. It’s a testament to his hardworking personality, and it’s something that could help him edge out other players when it comes to getting a spot on the roster.