Utah Hockey Club announced on Monday that it has signed defenseman Olli Määttä to a three-year extension.
“We’re thrilled to have Olli signed for the next three years,” said general manager Bill Armstrong in the team's official statement. “Olli is a smart defenseman and a true professional on and off the ice. He has brought stability to our blue line, has a tremendous work ethic, and is an excellent role model for our younger players. We look forward to having him as an important part of our core moving forward.”
The details of the contract have not been publicly released by Utah Hockey Club, but it has been reported to be worth around $10.5 million by Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.
“Olli has made an immediate and noticeable impact and a positive impression on everyone in our group,” said Chris Armstrong, president of hockey operations, on the team's official statement. “He is an important influence on the culture we continue to foster and the standards we have for our team. We are grateful for the commitment he is making to our organization.”
Originally playing for the Detroit Red Wings this year, Utah traded a 2025 third-round pick for the defenseman. The move has been particularly important for Utah, as the team has dealt with injuries to the blue line all season, with John Marino and Sean Durzi only returning to the line up over the last couple of months.
Määttä's presence not has helped Utah as it's worked through its injuries, but his play for Utah has been good as he has gotten two goals and 12 assists since joining the team.
What's notable is that Määttä has recently registered two assists in Utah's last three games despite Durzi's return to the lineup. Showing an ability to play valuable minutes regardless of what line he's playing on.
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Along with that, he competed and assisted on the first goal for team Finland in the 4-Nations Face-Off.
The signing comes as the first move Utah HC makes ahead of the March 7 trade line. While Utah is unlikely to be sellers, Utah's could still make a move to improve the team as it makes a push for the final Wild Card spot in the West.
But the signing also demonstrates confidence in the current players on the roster. With Utah playing at full health, the team may believe that its current lineup is strong enough to get into the playoffs.
So while Utah has seven unrestricted free agents, notably including Karel Vejmelka, the team could decide against making a big splash and instead opt to sign more of these players to extensions.