Mammoth Star Forward Reveals Big Trade Attempt That Failed During Montreal Draft

Three years later, the organization-now the Utah Mammoth-certainly doesn't regret its choice, as the 21-year-old center just completed a strong 2024-25 season with 65 points, including 25 goals.

He has become one of the NHL's young rising stars.

But did you know that Logan Cooley nearly ended up with another NHL team that memorable July night at the Bell Centre?

A major trade was attempted in Montreal, literally two spots after the Canadiens selected Juraj Slafkovsky.

As reported by HABSolumentFan, Cooley revealed on an episode of the Spittin Chiclets podcast that he expected to be drafted by the Coyotes if he slipped to third overall.

That said, Cooley admitted he came very close to landing with the Philadelphia Flyers, as they tried to pull off a trade to move up to that third pick.

At the time, Chuck Fletcher was the Flyers' general manager, a year before Daniel Brière took over. He reportedly contacted his Coyotes counterpart to discuss completing a trade but ultimately decided to keep the fifth overall pick and selected Cutter Gauthier.

That decision has come back to haunt them in 2025, as just a year later, the Flyers traded Gauthier-who refused to join the organization-to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for young defenseman Jamie Drysdale.

As the saying goes, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.