Detroit Red Wings sign Olli Maatta to one-year contract

The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Olli Maatta to a one-year contract worth $2.25 million, according to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Maatta, 27, appeared in 66 games with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2021–22 regular season, scoring one goal and eight points while averaging 18:17. He was held without a point in seven playoff games as the Kings fell to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.

The Pittsburgh Penguins originally selected Maatta in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. The 6’2″, 210-pound Finnish left-handed defenseman spent the first six seasons of his National Hockey League career in Pittsburgh, winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017.

Maatta subsequently made stops in Chicago and Los Angeles before becoming a free agent today. In 534 career regular-season games with the Penguins, Blackhawks, and Kings, Maatta has scored 30 goals and 136 points; in 85 career playoff appearances, Maatta has racked up five goals and 27 points.

With Maatta in the fold on defense, the Red Wings now have Moritz Seider, Filip Hronek, Maatta, Jordan Oesterle, Gustav Lindstrom, Steven Kampfer, and Simon Edvinsson under contract for 2022–23. Additionally, the Red Wings have Jake Walman as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Maatta is the Red Wings’ second major signing of the 2022 free agency period. Earlier on Wednesday, the Red Wings signed forward Andrew Copp to a five-year contract carrying a $5.625 million cap hit.