Elliotte Friedman confirms the signing of a 700-game NHL veteran Olli Maatta
Photo credit: ALLCITY Network
Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Olli Maatta has been signed to a 3-year contract extension by the Utah Hockey Club, who acquired him via trade from Detroit earlier this year.
Earlier this year, the Detroit Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman decided to ship veteran defenseman Olli Maatta and his expiring contract to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a 3rd round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
At the time of the trade, Matta hadn't registered a single point in the 7 games that he appeared in with Detroit.
But since then, he has 14 points (2G, 12A) in the 51 games he's played in. Because Utah likes what they've seen from him, they've signed him to a 3-year contract extension with an AAV (average annual value) of $3.5 million.
A 2-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in his career, Maatta's championship experience has played a role in the success of Utah in their 1st year in Salt Lake City.
GM Bill Armstrong raved about Maatta's leadership qualities when the trade was completed in October.
I think with what we acquired in [Maatta], he's a two-time Stanley Cup winner. He gives a lot of stability to the defense, and that's what we need. One of the big things that we're trying to do is cut our goals against, and he's going to help add in that stability on the back side.
Maatta will face the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena with Utah on Thursday night (7:00 PM, FanDuel Sports Detroit, 97.1 The Ticket).
With 63 points, the Utah HC is in 6th place in the Central Division.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
| POLL | ||
MARS 3 | 192 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman confirms the signing of a 700-game NHL veteran Olli Maatta Should the Red Wings have kept Olli Maatta? | ||
| Yes, he has valuable experience | 84 | 43.8 % |
| No, it's time for the kids | 108 | 56.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
