Injury Notes: Capitals, Hakanpaa, Määttä, Kesselring
The Washington Capitals will have a mess to sort out on defense with Jakob Chychrun (upper-body) and Alexander Alexeyev (personal) each out day-to-day, per Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network. El-Bashir also shares that Matt Roy, who has been out since October 12th, is nearing a return but likely won’t play on Thursday.
Chychrun suffered his injury after just four shifts in Washington’s Tuesday night win over the New York Rangers. He was seen nursing his left ribs partway through his final shift, though it’s hard to place exactly when he suffered his injury.
Alexeyev and Roy would stand as the de facto options to fill Chychrun’s top-pair role. But with both also potentially missing Thursday night’s game, the Capitals will have to instead turn towards Rasmus Sandin or Martin Fehervary to fill their role of top left-defender. The team could also turn to the minor leagues for a fill-in, where Hardy Haman-Aktell stands as the top left-defense with three assists in six games to start the year.
Other notes from blue-lines around the league:
- Defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is nearing his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs after spending the start of the season on IR with a knee injury, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Hakanpaa opened the year on long-term injured reserve, nursing an injury that ended his 2023-24 campaign in March. He proceeded to go through contract cartwheels with Toronto throughout the summer, signing with the team in July but not finalizing the deal until September. He joined Toronto’s practices on October 2nd, and even traveled with the team on their recent two-game road trip – all suggesting a return is imminent. Hakanpaa is awaiting clearance from Toronto’s doctors and activation off of LTIR, but figures to support the team’s defensive depth when he returns.
- The Utah Hockey Club could plan to ice seven defensemen on Wednesday – per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports – with Michael Kesselring returning from illness (link) and Olli Määttä quickly joining the team after trade (link). Kesselring has so far played in all 10 of Utah’s games, and ranks second on the blue-line in scoring with five points. Meanwhile, Maatta has yet to change his stat line at all this season – recording no scoring, no penalties, and no lasting change in +/- through seven games with the Detroit Red Wings. He was flipped to Utah for a 2025 third-round pick, and offers much-needed depth to a Utah club without both Sean Durzi and John Marino for the long-term. Kesselring should maintain his spot on the team’s top pair, while Maatta will join Vladislav Kolyachonok and Maveric Lamoureux in fighting for depth ice time.
Utah Acquires Olli Määttä From Red Wings
Utah has acquired defenseman Olli Määttä from the Red Wings in a late-night trade, the team announced. They’re sending a 2025 third-round pick, previously acquired from the Rangers, to Detroit to complete the deal.
It’s no surprise to see the first-year franchise swing a deal for a defenseman. They’ll be without a pair of top-four defenders, Sean Durzi and John Marino, for most of the season after they both underwent surgeries in the past couple of weeks. Durzi could miss the rest of the regular season after having a procedure to repair his right shoulder, while Marino will likely be out until the 4 Nations Face-Off in February while recovering from lower back surgery.
Initial reports suggested Utah would likely lean on internal solutions to fill the void. They recalled 2022 first-round pick Maveric Lamoureux from AHL Tucson and have gotten solid hockey out of 24-year-old Michael Kesselring, who’s now averaging over 20 minutes per night and has five points and a team-leading +5 rating through 10 games. But losses have kept piling up for the Utahns, who remain at .500 with a 4-4-2 record after yesterday’s third-period collapse to the Sharks, which resulted in a 5-4 overtime defeat. A report from Pierre LeBrun of TSN last week suggested Utah had at least checked in on the availability of Blue Jackets defender Ivan Provorov, but they’ll end up netting a much cheaper player in Määttä in terms of both contract and acquisition cost.
Määttä, 30, is in the second year of a two-year, $6MM extension he signed with the Wings in 2023. The Finnish stay-at-home defender has called Detroit home since signing there as a free agent in 2022. He’s inexplicably been pushed down the lineup in recent days, sitting as a healthy scratch in two of the Wings’ last four games despite controlling 57.8% of expected goals when he’s on the ice at even strength. That number jumps out in a big way on a Detroit team that’s again struggled to maintain possession at 5-on-5 this year, controlling 42.5% of shot attempts, 43.7% of scoring chances, and 41.9% of high-danger chances. He’d yet to get on the scoresheet this season and was averaging a career-low 15:52 per game, but his 44.4 CF% was second among Wings defenders only to Simon Edvinsson.
Detroit’s loss is Utah’s gain. Määttä should post better results on a Utah club that’s actually been one of the league’s better 5-on-5 teams this season despite their roller-coaster record. He’s a left-shot but has played on the right side frequently throughout his 12-year NHL career, a task he’ll likely be asked to replicate in Salt Lake City. Whether he immediately steps into a top-four role with Durzi and Marino out remains to be seen, but at the very least, he’s a demonstrable upgrade on either of their current third-pairing options, Robert Bortuzzo and Vladislav Kolyachonok. He had 18 points and a +14 rating in 72 appearances for Detroit last season.
For the Wings, it’s the second time in a few months that general manager Steve Yzerman has traded away one of the more effective defenders on a blue line that has struggled to prevent quality scoring chances. He dealt Jake Walman to the Sharks in a somewhat similar cap-dump move back in June, although that transaction required him to offload a second-round pick to get San Jose to take his entire contract. He’s at least receiving an asset back for Määttä here with no salary retention, but it’s still a puzzling move for a team looking to push for a playoff spot.
Detroit does at least free up a roster spot and a fair amount of cap space with the move. They now have a comfortable $3.58MM in current cap space, per PuckPedia. The flurry of paper transactions to conserve cap space and juggle a full roster should now calm down, and the Red Wings do have far more in-season maneuverability to perhaps address other roster weaknesses in a more cost-effective manner.
Detroit Red Wings Injury Updates
Earlier, Ansar Khan of MLive issued several injury updates to several players on the Detroit Red Wings. Still having six games remaining in the regular season, the Red Wings control their destiny for the playoffs and will have to do so without a good portion of their depth.
Specifically, Khan notes that forward Michael Rasmussen will not be in the lineup for the team’s game tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres, and will also not be present for the team’s following game against the Washington Capitals. Rasmussen originally went down with an upper-body injury on April 1st and did not play for the team on Friday in a loss to the New York Rangers.
It will be a big subtraction for several reasons, as Rasmussen’s size and athletic ability have allowed Detroit to move him up and down the lineup for much of the year. With this being his most successful season, Rasmussen has scored 13 goals and 33 points over 75 games this year, leading to a four-year, $12.8MM extension with the Red Wings back in February.
On the defensive side of the lineup, Khan also mentioned that defenseman Olli Maatta is questionable for tomorrow’s contest as he is also dealing with an upper-body injury. Playing primarily with offensive defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for much of the year, Maatta’s presence on the back end has been able to hide much of Gostisbehere’s defensive shortcomings.
In his second season in the Winged Wheel, Maatta has scored three goals and 17 points over 66 games, which is right on par with his production from last year. On the puck’s defensive side, Maatta has managed a 93.6 On-Ice Save Percentage in All Situations, a massive testament to his game, given that Detroit is 24th overall in goals against per game.
Lastly, in an update between the pipes, Khan reports that goaltender Ville Husso is close to beginning a rehab assignment with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Husso has been out for nearly two months for Detroit as he works his way back from a lower-body injury.
Before the emergence of Alex Lyon in the crease, Husso started the year as the Red Wings starting option in the net. Although he was a bit streaky to start the year, Husso has put together a 9-5-2 record over 18 starts, carrying a .892 save percentage and a 3.55 goals-against average.
Red Wings Healthy Scratch Jeff Petry
It’s been a strange 14 months for Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry. The 35-year-old defenseman was traded in July 2022 by the Montreal Canadiens to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a package that included defenseman Mike Matheson and forward Ryan Poehling. Petry spent one uneven season with the Penguins only to be traded back to Montreal 13 months later in a salary dump as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. Petry was then flipped to the Red Wings for a fourth-round draft pick and Gustav Lindstrom.
Now, just two games into his time with Detroit, Petry already finds himself a healthy scratch as per the Red Wings X account. Petry was in the press box during the Red Wings 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight as Detroit dressed six defensemen and 12 forwards for the game.
The Red Wings traded very little to acquire Petry, but it is difficult to understand the logic of the move given how many other NHL veterans are currently signed to play on Detroit’s blue line. The Red Wings made several moves this summer to acquire veteran defensemen with Petry coming into the organization along with Justin Holl and Shayne Gostisbehere.
Petry was a bit of a wild card as he hasn’t been overly effective since the 2020-21 season when he was with the Canadiens and has been shuffled through multiple organizations in that time. Last year in Pittsburgh he wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t particularly good either, which prompted the Penguins to make the Karlsson move to replace Petry and add more power to their offense.
In his first two games in Detroit, Petry has really struggled posting no points and a -2 while averaging 16:44 of ice time. A dramatic decline from the 22:14 he has averaged throughout his career. While his ice time is down substantially, his play hasn’t warranted additional ice time as he has found himself on the wrong side of puck possession more often than not in the first two games.
How Detroit handles their defense going forward could make for interesting theatre. Moritz Seider and Jake Walman aren’t coming out of the lineup for Petry and given their play as of late it seems unlikely that Olli Maatta or Gostisbehere are coming out of the lineup either. The likeliest candidate is Holl, but like Petry, he was just brought in this summer, and it wouldn’t be a great look to scratch him after a handful of games.
Detroit has alternated using six or seven defensemen this season and may continue to do so with the logjam in their defensive core. However, constantly sitting newly acquired veterans is often frowned upon and could lead to some bitter feelings among veterans.
East Notes: Capitals Coaches, Red Wings, Karmanos
The Washington Capitals had a disappointing season, and it has resulted in some changes behind the bench. Peter Laviolette was already let go by the club and the team announced earlier today that his two assistant coaches would be leaving the organization as well. The Capitals finished the season with 80 points and missed the playoffs for just the second time since 2008, resulting in assistant coaches Kevin McCarthy and Blaine Forsythe losing their positions.
McCarthy was behind the Capitals bench for three seasons and has a lengthy resume on NHL benches. He has worked for the Capitals, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers in a coaching career that dates back to 1992. Forsythe has been with the Capitals his entire professional career, which dates back to 2006. He worked as a video coach before moving into a scouting role and then stepping behind the bench as an assistant in 2009. He has served in that role for the past 14 seasons, now the Capitals will look to shuffle the deck on the bench going forward.
- With the Detroit Red Wings season ended, a couple of players have already committed to the upcoming World Championships. Lucas Raymond will suit up for Sweden, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. The 21 year old Raymond scored 17 goals and 45 points in 74 games for the Red Wings, following up his 57-point rookie season. The World Championships are set to take place in Finland and Latvia in May.
- Also heading to the World Championships from the Red Wings is Olli Maatta, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports. Maatta is a veteran defenseman who scored 23 points in 78 games for the Red Wings. The native of Jyvaskyla, Finland has a chance to perform in his home country and compete for a medal.
- Also of note, Darren Dreger of TSN reports Jason Karmanos is a sought after general manager candidate. Karmanos is currently the assistant general manager of the Buffalo Sabres and has a long history of working in NHL front office roles, dating back to 1998 when he held the same position with the Carolina Hurricanes. Dreger mentions Karmanos could be an option to replace recently-fired Ron Hextall who was the GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Karmanos held roles as the VP of Hockey Operations as well as assistant general manager in Pittsburgh between 2014 and 2021.
Detroit Red Wings Extend Olli Maatta
The Detroit Red Wings won’t be flipping Olli Maatta anywhere at the trade deadline. The defenseman has signed a two-year contract extension worth a total of $6MM ($3MM AAV) that will keep him in Detroit through the 2024-25 season.
Maatta, 28, was scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this summer after signing a one-year, $2.25MM contract with Detroit last July. His play this season has still left something to be desired but has been good enough to earn himself a more extended stay.
Playing just over 18 minutes a night, Maatta has 17 points in 49 games. At even strength, the vast majority of that time has been spent next to Filip Hronek, a pairing that has actually had outstanding results, even if the process looks shaky at times. With both players on the ice, Detroit has outscored opponents 29-12 despite rather pedestrian possession numbers.
For whatever reason, it has tilted the ice in Detroit’s favor, something they will try to continue to do over the next two seasons.
It also removes a potential target from trade speculation, as teams were likely considering Maatta as a depth addition, He does have quite a bit of playoff experience and won two Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Given how many other contracts are expiring on the Detroit roster, it makes sense that the front office will be trying to keep some of them. The deadline for the Red Wings could still be an explosive one, especially if Dylan Larkin ends up on the market.
Snapshots: Korpisalo, Maatta, Hunt, Kazbekov
Heading into the season, it seemed likely that Joonas Korpisalo was entering his final season with the Blue Jackets. His re-signing allowed Daniil Tarasov to spend one more year in the minors before moving up to the NHL full-time in 2023-24. However, as Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch suggests, Korpisalo’s performance this season coupled with his contract could make him one of their top trade chips heading into the trade deadline. While his numbers aren’t great on their own (3.53 GAA, .903 SV%), they’re considerably better than Elvis Merzlikins’ by comparison (4.68, .864). That, coupled with a low-cost $1.3MM expiring deal, could give them a chance to get a better draft pick they were offered the last time that Korpisalo was on the block.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Prior to their game this afternoon against Ottawa, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they activated defenseman Olli Maatta off injured reserve. The 28-year-old is off to a nice start in his first year with Detroit, notching 10 points in 25 games heading into today’s action while logging nearly 20 minutes per game. That’s a pretty good early return on the one-year, $2.25MM that Detroit gave him early in free agency.
- A day after being papered down to the minors, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Brad Hunt from AHL Colorado. The 34-year-old inked a two-year deal with the Avs in the summer and has played in four games with the big club so far, collecting an assist while logging a little over 10 minutes per game. He has been quite productive with the Eagles though, notching six goals and 14 helpers in 22 games at the minor league level.
- There was some sad news in the OHL with the league jointly announcing with London that forward Abakar Kazbekov passed away today at the age of 18. Kazbekov was the first-overall pick from the 2021 OHL U18 Priority Selection and had played in 21 games in parts of two seasons with the team including in Friday’s game against Owen Sound.
Red Wings Recall Soderblom; Place Maatta On Injured Reserve
The Detroit Red Wings are getting Elmer Soderblom back, recalling him from the minor leagues after his recent return from injury. To clear room on the roster, Olli Maatta has been moved to injured reserve, retroactive to his last game on December 6.
Soderblom, 21, played just two games with the Grand Rapids Griffins on what equated to a conditioning stint, failing to score a point in the process. The 6’8″ forward last played in the NHL over a month ago but should get a chance to re-enter the lineup in the coming days.
Maatta, meanwhile, is out with an illness and was already ruled out for tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Given how long it has been since his last game, he’ll be able to be activated as soon as he’s ready to return.
At that point, the team will have to make a decision on who to send back down. Steven Kampfer, recently recalled from the minors, could be an option once Maatta is healthy enough to play.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Maatta, Nadeau
With the Maple Leafs showing as being over the cap by nearly $1.5MM per CapFriendly, many expect them to be among the teams looking to make a cap-shedding trade over the coming weeks. However, Sports Illustrated’s David Alter suggests that such a move isn’t necessarily needed right away, even when RFA defenseman Rasmus Sandin re-signs. With the offseason cushion in place for another couple of months, there’s still some time to work with and by the end of training camp, things could change from an injury standpoint. Alternatively, Toronto could opt to carry a 20-player roster which, depending on which players are waived and potentially sent down, could narrowly get them compliant to start the season, especially if Sandin settles for a low-cost one-year deal. At this point, it’d be a little surprising if Toronto didn’t find a way to create a little cap flexibility but they still have some time to work things out.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Although Olli Maatta signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings, he told reporters including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that his intention is to be with Detroit for the long haul. The 27-year-old has seen his value dip in recent years compared to his early seasons with Pittsburgh although he was still able to get $2.25MM from Detroit and a chance at a spot in their top four. Top prospect Simon Edvinsson might be up with the Red Wings at some point next season so Maatta will have a limited window to show that he’s worthy of that role and a longer-term agreement with Detroit.
- Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau underwent shoulder surgery last week and will miss the next four-to-six months, reports Jean-Francois Plante of Le Droit. The 19-year-old had a strong showing with QMJHL Shawinigan last season with 78 points in 65 games while adding four goals and two assists at the Memorial Cup. Nadeau was traded to Gatineau this summer but some of that return will be rescinded as a result of the extended absence; a clause was put into the trade in case surgery was needed.
Detroit Red Wings Set To Sign Olli Maatta
According to The Athletic’s Max Bultman, the Detroit Red Wings are close to signing defensive defenseman Olli Maatta. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the team is finalizing a one-year, $2.25MM contract. Maatta arrives in Detroit after two seasons on the Los Angeles Kings.
Although Maatta, 27, isn’t quite what some assumed he’d be after being selected 22nd overall at the 2012 NHL draft, he’s still carved himself out a nice career. At just 27 years old Maatta is a veteran of over 500 NHL games and has two Stanley Cup rings from his time on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Maatta’s foot speed is what’s held him back from a greater NHL role, as his skating deficiencies have become even more pronounced in a speed-first modern NHL. But despite that weak spot, Maatta has become a relied-upon NHL defenseman who has stuck around in a third-pairing role.
In Los Angeles, Maatta averaged 18:17 time-on-ice per game and has averaged 18:35 per game for his career. Maatta is not an offensive producer, with only eight points in 66 games, although his 29-point season in 2017-2018 does suggest there is maybe some more production to his game than it might seem. Even so, the Red Wings aren’t signing Maatta to be an offensive threat. They’re signing him to be an affordable, safe, reliable NHL option to occupy their blueline while their talented prospects develop. Maatta, who averaged 1:46 per game on the penalty kill last season, is a solid signing for that purpose and should help new goalie Ville Husso face a less difficult nightly task than Alex Nedeljkovic frequently faced last season.