The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed his afternoon notebook article, focusing today upon 28-year-old defenseman Olli Maatta, who’s joined the Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent signing. Maatta told Kulfan that he doesn’t feel as “old” as he is in terms of his NHL-playing experience:
“It’s kind of crazy,” said Maatta, who will turn 28 on Aug. 22 and is entering his 10th NHL season. “I don’t feel like a veteran in that sense. I feel like I have a lot of hockey left in me. I’m still kind of young, still have a lot of work to do and improve on. Having played that long, it feels like time flies. Nine seasons gone now, going into the 10th season, but I feel like I still have a lot left.”
The Wings feel the same way, having signed Maatta to a one-year contract worth $2.25 million. The addition of Maatta and defenseman Ben Chiarot, said general manager Steve Yzerman, “will help our special teams and particularly our penalty killing, and then defensively five-on-five as well.”
Maatta, who won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh, was thrilled to join a Red Wings organization seemingly on the upswing.
“You see some of the players they already had before free agency started, and adding some big pieces, it’s a great place and exciting times,” Maatta said. “You can definitely see it, they’re up-and-coming and they want to be contenders. I want to be part of it.”
…
For his part, Maatta feels he can supply more offense than he has the past several years. He notched 29 points two times earlier in his career but has dropped off since, including posting single digits the last two years with the Kings.
“I have more offense in my game, more than in the last couple of years, and it’s definitely something I’ve been working on,” Maatta said. “I’m known as a defensive guy, but I have more offense in my game than my stats show.”
