The Detroit Red Wings traded veteran defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday night, as the NHL’s newest team tries to overcome significant injuries to its blueline.
Utah sent a 2025 third-round draft choice, previously acquired from the New York Rangers, to Detroit for Maatta, who carries a $3 million salary cap hit and is an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Maatta, 30, had played seven games for the Red Wings this season, averaging 15:52 per game on Detroit’s third pairing. While he’s yet to tally a point this season, Maatta had 4 goals and 14 assists in 72 games for Detroit in 2023-24.
Maatta is in his 12th NHL season, having played 691 career games for Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago and the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he won two Stanley Cups. Current Utah defenseman Ian Cole was his teammate on those Pittsburgh teams.
After a fast start to their inaugural season in Salt Lake City, Utah HC is 1-4-2 in its last seven games. While this early season trade could seek to shake things up for a struggling club, it also addresses a critical area of need for Utah.
Defenseman Sean Durzi underwent right shoulder surgery last week and is expected to be out 4-6 months. In 2023-24, he was the leading scorer among defensemen for the Arizona Coyotes, who left for Utah after last season. Utah also lost defenseman John Marino, whom they acquired from New Jersey in June. Marino had yet to play a game for Utah this season due to injury. The team said he had lower back surgery last week that will keep him out 3-4 months.
Maatta gives Utah a sorely needed veteran option in their defense corps, while Detroit subtracts salary and gets good draft pick value for him.
