Olli Maatta spoke recently about how much he enjoyed Detroit and would like to remain a Red Wing.
It didn’t take long for that to happen.
The Wings announced Thursday they’ve signed the veteran defenseman to a two-year contract for $6 million ($3 million per year cap hit).
Maatta, 28, was signed by general manager Steve Yzerman in July, on the first day of unrestricted free agency, and has been a valuable addition.
Known more as a defensive defenseman, Maatta has stabilized the defense with his work on that end, but has also provided an unexpected boost offensively.
Maatta scored his fifth goal of the season in Wednesday’s 5-4 shootout victory in Edmonton. He also has 12 assists for 17 points, and is trending toward his best offensive season since 2017-18 in Pittsburgh when he had 29 points.
The type of veteran defenseman Maatta is, with his championship pedigree from Pittsburgh and his valuable experience, would have been a popular target before the March 3 trade deadline.
But Maatta, though out of his hands, implied he wanted to remain in Detroit, if possible.
“It’s a good fit; I’d definitely love to stay here,” Maatta said. “You’re always trying to make a home base for yourself and getting comfortable after the last couple of years (playing in Chicago and Los Angeles) moving from different places every year, it felt like. It’s not easy.
“I’ve really liked it here, the atmosphere, the guys in the room, and the organization. The city is awesome. It would be nice, but you never know what’ll happen. I’ve seen it before. It’s nothing against you (if a trade happens). It just happens.”
Coach Derek Lalonde admitted Maatta’s contributions have arguably gone beyond expectations.
“Surpassed mine,” Lalonde said. “I appreciated him as a player, seeing him around the league, but having him every day, he has an unbelievable work ethic. He’s a pro. He comes to practice every day, takes his reps seriously, and it translates into his game. He’s just a great pro, a real good NHL defenseman who has helped us a ton.”
With Maatta signed, Yzerman’s to-do list in terms of prospective free agents include forwards Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Oskar Sundqvist and defenseman Jake Walman.
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan
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