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The Detroit Red Wings have had an interesting start to the 2024-25 NHL season. Detroit possesses a 4-4-1 record and holds a fifth-place Atlantic Division spot through the early part of the year. Nevertheless, the club is not settling when it comes to roster moves. The Red Wings have engaged in a trade with the Utah Hockey Club that parts ways with former Stanley Cup champion defenseman Olli Maatta.
Detroit has traded Maatta to Utah in exchange for a third-round pick in 2025, the Red Wings announced on X (formerly Twitter).
The moves help Detroit acquire a future asset, while Olli Maatta gets a fresh start in the Western Conference.
Maatta started his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2013-14 season, where he made an immediate impact. The former 2012 first-round pick accumulated a career-high nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points in 78 games played. Maatta continued his stout production with Pittsburgh and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017.
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After six seasons with the Penguins, Maatta joined the Chicago Blackhawks for a year before embarking on a two-season stint with the Los Angeles Kings. Maatta later joined the Red Wings for the 2022-23 season, where his time now comes to an end.
Maatta joins a Utah Hockey Club team eager for improvement during their first year in the NHL. Through their first 10 games of 2024-25, Utah is 4-4-2 and sits second to last in the Central Division. Could Maatta's veteran presence help the club climb the standings?
Oli Maatta is not the first big trade Detroit has made in 2024. In June, the Red Wings sent Jake Wahlman to the San Jose Sharks in one of their most jarring moves of the year. Detroit is showing it is not afraid to take risks. Only time will tell how the Red Wings' trade efforts will pay off.
