Red Wings Trade Maatta to Utah, Gain Roster Flexibility

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On Tuesday night, the Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club for a 2025 third-round pick. 

The move couldn’t have come at a better time for Utah – they’ll be without blueliners John Marino and Sean Durzi for the foreseeable future. Maatta can now slot into the lineup and give Utah some much-needed depth on the back end.

It’s addition by subtraction for Detroit. Sure, Maatta’s steady game will be missed, but the deal does benefit the Red Wings in a few ways.

Red Wings Gain Flexibility By Moving Maatta

First and foremost, Maatta’s departure helps alleviate Detroit’s defensive logjam to a degree. Justin Holl, Erik Gustafsson, and Albert Johansson will now compete for third-pairing minutes, with Johansson standing to gain the most from the trade. 

Johansson and Maatta play a similar style, and the young blueliner has only gotten into three games so far this season. With Maatta out of the picture, Johansson has the opportunity to seize a more prominent role with the Red Wings.

Olli Maatta Detroit Red Wings
Olli Maatta’s departure opens the door for Albert Johansson. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

In addition, the move also opens up a roster spot for Tyler Motte’s impending return. The forward took part in practice Tuesday, and could be available for Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

The trade also opens up $3 million in cap space – the Red Wings had been up against the salary cap ceiling previously. Now, they’ll be able to accrue more cap space as the season progresses and have more flexibility to add down the road if they so desire.

The return on the deal—the 2025 third-round pick that previously belonged to the New York Rangers—could be leveraged later on to add another player. Or it could serve as draft capital heading into the 2025 NHL Draft. Again, it’s all about flexibility.

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Overall, it’s a win-win for the two franchises. Utah acquires sorely needed depth, and the Red Wings gain roster and cap flexibility for the rest of the season. A fair deal all around.