Utah Trades for Olli Maatta from Red Wings to Fill Blue Line Hole

The Utah Hockey Club announced that they have acquired defenseman Olli Määttä from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a third-round draft choice via the New York Rangers. Both Utah and the Red Wings confirmed the trade on their social media pages Tuesday evening.

The Utah Hockey Club was rumored to be looking for a defenseman after news that both Sean Durzi and John Marino were out with injuries. Durzi is facing a long recovery after shoulder surgery (expected to be out 5-6 months), while Marino is expected to miss several months following lower back surgery, likely sidelining him until February.

Maatta is a defensive defenseman who typically plays third-pairing minutes and can handle penalty-killing duties. He can also provide a little offense when necessary. He offers reliability and consistency in an depth role.

Reports from insiders were that Utah might try to make do with who they had. Ultimately, the cost made sense to add a proven blueliner and when recalling 2022 first-round pick Maveric Lamoureux and when Michael Kesselring appeared to be a bit risky, Utah pulled the trigger on a trade.

For the Red Wings, they get some cap flexibility and acquire a third-rounder without retaining any salary.

Is a Maatta Trade the Right Fit for Utah?

With a 4-4-2 record and a disappointing overtime loss to the Sharks (which included three goals in the final five minutes), the decision to bring in Maatta, a more affordable option made sense. This was a less expensive option than some of the other names linked to the team.

Maatta has played seven games with the Red Wings this season. He has no goals and no assists. He has averaged 15:52 per game in 2024-25. These are the lowest totals of the 30-year-old’s NHL career. Maatta has one more season on his current deal after this season at a cap hit of $3 million.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Oilers, Maple Leafs, Flyers, Canadiens & Senators