Olli Maatta has the potential to be a good addition for the Wild.
Earlier this off-season, the Minnesota Wild made a big multi-player trade with the Calgary Flames. While Blake Coleman was the most notable name involved in the trade, the Wild also brought in defenseman Olli Maatta from the deal.
Although Maatta may not be the flashiest of additions for the Wild, he undoubtedly has the potential to be a good pickup for their roster.
By acquiring Maatta, the Wild are bringing in a solid veteran defenseman who plays a smart defensive game and has won two Stanley Cup championships during his career. With that, he is exactly the kind of steady defenseman that could be a perfect fit on a team that is looking to win the Stanley Cup, like the Wild.
Maatta should now provide the Wild's bottom pairing and penalty kill both with a nice boost this season. His strong play in his own zone should make him a valuable pickup for the Wild this campaign.
Maatta also notably had a strong finish to this past season after being traded to the Flames by the Utah Mammoth. In 21 games with the Flames following the move, the 6-foot-2 defenseman posted two goals and 14 points. With that, he showed that he also has the potential to help create some offense from the point. This would be a nice bonus for Minnesota, but it is clear that the main reason why they brought him in is because of his dependability.
It will now be interesting to see how much of an impact Maatta can make for the Wild this season.
