Utah Trades for Red Wings Defenseman Olli Maatta with 2025 Draft Pick
The Utah Hockey Club has acquired veteran defenseman Olli Maatta from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2025 third-round draft pick, as both organizations confirmed Tuesday.
Maatta, 30, has appeared in seven games for Detroit this season, logging zero points and averaging 15:52 of ice time per game, which ranks him sixth among the team's defensemen. His $3-million salary cap hit remains, and he is set to reach unrestricted free agency next summer.
The third-round pick sent to Detroit initially came from the New York Rangers, obtained by Utah as part of a salary retention deal in the Patrick Kane trade.
In the 2022-23 season, Maatta recorded four goals and 18 points across 72 games. He led the Red Wings with a plus-14 rating and registered a 49.4% expected goal share at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, placing him first among Detroit defenders in that category.
The acquisition follows Utah's recent 5-4 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday, where they conceded a three-goal lead in the game's final minutes. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev played a team-high 26:35 during the matchup, with Utah still managing multiple injuries on the back end. Both Sean Durzi and John Marino remain on long-term injured reserve, impacting Utah's defensive depth.
On Monday, Utah's defensive pairings were structured as follows:
| Right Defense | Left Defense |
| Michael Kesselring | Mikhail Sergachev |
| Maveric Lamoureux | Ian Cole |
| Robert Bortuzzo | Vladislav Kolyachonok |
Following the Maatta trade, Utah holds over $7 million in cap space, while Detroit's cap space increases to $3.5 million. The Red Wings now carry seven defensemen, including Justin Holl, who cleared waivers earlier this season.
With a career spanning teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, and Red Wings, Maatta has accumulated 177 points over 691 games, bringing significant experience to Utah's defensive lineup.
