Red Wings Deal Maatta to Utah

Just the other day, Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was lamenting the need to find a way to get more playing time for rookie defenseman Albert Johansson.

Tuesday, they came up with a solution. Detroit was making the decision to deal veteran defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a 3rd round pick in 2025. pic.twitter.com/XUy7a6TvpM

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 30, 2024

“We talked about Justin (Holl) getting an opportunity and Albert Johansson (getting) an opportunity,” Lalonde said.

The deal is leaving the Red Wings with seven defenseman on the NHL roster. In a pinch, they also have William Lagesson available from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. Lagesson’s resume shows 100 games of NHL experience.

Holl, Johansson Make Maatta Expendable

Both the right-shot Holl, who was used sparingly last season and Johansson have proven to be solid and reliable when inserted into the Detroit defensive six this season.

“He can be sticky at times, he can defend,” Lalonde said of Holl. “Some of the things we ask our group to improve on – box-outs, gaps – he does.

“So we’ve been happy with him. He’s helped us.”

The arrival of Johansson and the uptick in value from Holl would prove to make Maatta an expendable piece.

Small moment but nice, steady play on defense by Albert Johansson in his 1st career NHL game. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/ifyjFQWlV6

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) October 13, 2024

While Maatta might have more offensive upside than Johansson, in all other areas they’re quite similar. Both are steady, unspectacular performers.

Maatta has mostly been playing in the third pairing during his Detroit tenure. That’s the likely destiny for both Holl and Johansson, though Holl was logging solid top-four minutes while Jeff Petry was out with an injury. Along with Erik Gustafsson, that trio will be battling for third-pairing minutes.

In the last year of his contract, it’s unlikely that Maatta was going to be getting any new deal from the Wings following the 2024-25 season. By moving him now, the team is at least getting something back for the journeyman defender, as opposed to letting him walk at season’s end as a UFA.

Another facet in moving Maatta out is that it creates a roster spot to activate injured forward Tyler Motte when he’s healthy. That means center Marco Kasper isn’t going back to the Griffins.