The Utah Hockey Club has acquired veteran defenseman Olli Määttä from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick, which was acquired by the Arizona Coyotes in return for retaining part of Patrick Kane’s salary when the Chicago Blackhawks traded him to the New York Rangers.
Määttä is in the final year of his contract, which pays him $3 million annually.
This trade fills a hole on Utah HC’s blue line left by injuries of Sean Durzi and John Marino. Both players are expected to be out for a minimum of four months.
What will Olli Määttä do for the Utah Hockey Club?
Utah HC has lacked defensemen that can move the puck up the ice. Maveric Lamoureux has provided a slight boost in that area since he arrived in Utah, but he plays limited minutes. Määttä moves the puck effectively.
Määttä, 30, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He won in 2016 and 2017 with the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside current Utah HC defenseman Ian Cole. He has played a depth role most of his NHL career, going between the Penguins, Blackhawks, Kings and Red Wings.
“He gives a lot of stability to the defense and that’s what we need,” said general manager Bill Armstrong Wednesday morning. “One of the big things that we’re trying to do is cut our goals against down. He’s going to help that.”
When the injuries first struck, Armstrong’s plan was to give opportunities to the top Tucson Roadrunners defensemen. He first called up Patrik Koch, though Koch didn’t play a game before he was replaced by Lamoureux. Having lost five of the six games since Durzi’s injury, Armstrong concluded that an addition was necessary.
Despite his 6-foot-2, 207-pound frame, Määttä is not an overly physical player. He has never fought in the NHL and has only lain three hits this year. For reference, every other active Utah HC defenseman has more hits than him.
Armstrong mentioned Määttä's value as a veteran voice who may have had what it took to stop UHC’s defensive breakdown against the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
Where will Olli Määttä slot into the lineup?
Utah HC’s defensive corps now boasts five lefties and three righties on the active roster. Among those righties are 20-year-old Lamoureux and 35-year-old Robert Bortuzzo, who are both probably better suited for bottom pairing minutes at this point in their careers.
Someone will have to switch to the right side.
For now, Utah HC will roll with 11 forwards and seven defensemen to accommodate for Määttä. He will play Wednesday against the Flames in a rotation with Vladislav Kolyachonok and Juuso Välimäki.
Määttä has occasionally played the right side throughout his career, as has Cole. It will be up to Utah HC head coach André Tourigny and his staff to determine whether one of them would be better equipped to play the right side in the top four over Bortuzzo and Lamoureux.
“The key to your defense is getting everybody in the right role, in the right minutes and not extending them into points where they’re in situations where they shouldn’t play,” Armstrong said.
