Utah acquires Maatta from Red Wings for 3rd-round pick
The Utah Hockey Club acquired defenseman Olli Maatta from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2025 third-round pick, the teams announced Tuesday.
Maatta posted zero points in seven games with the Red Wings this season. The Finnish blue-liner's 15:52 average ice time ranked sixth among Detroit defenders.
The 30-year-old has a $3-million cap hit and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The draft pick sent to the Red Wings was acquired by Utah from the New York Rangers for retaining salary in the Patrick Kane trade.
Maatta recorded four goals and 18 points in 72 games last season and led the Red Wings with a plus-14 rating. The left-hand shot also paced Detroit defenders with a 49.4% expected goal share at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Utah lost 5-4 against the San Jose Sharks in overtime on Monday after holding a 4-1 lead with less than five minutes remaining. Mikhail Sergachev played a game-high 26:35 on the team's back end.
Defenders Sean Durzi and John Marino are out with long-term injuries for Utah.
Here are the defensive pairings Utah used Monday:
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
| Mikhail Sergachev | Michael Kesselring |
| Ian Cole | Maveric Lamoureux |
| Vladislav Kolyachonok | Robert Bortuzzo |
The Red Wings have $3.5 million of space after the trade, according to PuckPedia. Detroit now has seven defensemen on the roster, including Justin Holl, who cleared waivers at the start of the campaign.
Utah has just over $7 million in cap space after adding Maatta, according to PuckPedia.
Maatta has tallied 177 points in 691 career games between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, and Red Wings.