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Olli Maatta

Snapshots: Korpisalo, Maatta, Hunt, Kazbekov

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Los Angeles Kings Activate Drew Doughty, Place Two In COVID Protocol

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Defenseman Drew Doughty has exited the NHL’s COVID protocol, but the Los Angeles Kings added right wing Dustin Brown and defenseman Olli Maatta to the list today, per a team tweet.

In a corresponding move, the team assigned center Alex Turcotte, their fifth-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, to the taxi squad. Centers Quinton Byfield and Phillip Danault as well as goalie Cal Petersen remain in COVID protocol.

Doughty’s faced multiple injury and health concerns this season, but he’s been extremely productive for the Kings when in the lineup. He’s averaging 24:49 per game and has 13 points through 11 contests, and his return to the lineup will be hotly anticipated.

Brown has just four goals through 30 games and Maatta has struggled to stay in the lineup this year, but it’s still a hit to the Kings’ depth. They’ll likely miss the Kings’ next three games and are eligible to return on January 6 against the Nashville Predators.

Kings Place Alex Edler On Injured Reserve

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The Los Angeles Kings were hoping to take a step forward this season in their pursuit of a postseason return. A key move made this summer to help achieve that goal was the signing of veteran defenseman Alex Edler. The career Vancouver Canuck only signed a one-year deal, but his two-way ability and veteran presence was expected to be a major addition both on and off the ice in L.A. To this point, Edler has been even more important than anticipated. With star Drew Doughty having missed time due to injury and Sean Walker out for the season with an injury of his own, Edler has been relied upon as one of the few constant contributors of experience and scoring on the Kings blue line.

That is, until now. The Kings have announced that Edler has been placed on injured reserve following an awkward collision into the boards on Saturday night forced him from the game. Edler received a check from Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime in the first period and lost his balance, falling against the boards in his own zone. Edler’s left ankle appeared to give way as he fell and as Edler was being helped from the ice, he was unable to put any weight on his left leg. To this point, the team has only described the situation as a lower-body injury.

With Edler out, the Kings are losing their defensive scoring leader who has 11 points in 26 games. Edler also leads the team in plus/minus and is second in blocked shots and hits; the reliable defender has played no small role in L.A. this season. Christian Wolanin has been recalled to replace Edler’s roster spot, but it is Olli Maatta that is likely to draw into the lineup first. More pressure will also be placed on Matt Roy, who is enjoying the best season of his career, and rookies Michael Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot, who have excelled thus far despite adversity. The Kings’ season is not quite living up to the expectations they had imagined this season, as they currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division, but their points percentage has improved since last season and the team has a chance to stay in the playoff mix if they can survive another significant defensive absence. The team has not issued any update on the severity of Edler’s injury or any timeline on a return, but the hope is certainly that they will not be without their major free agent addition for too long.

Injury Updates: Oilers, Varlamov, Foote, Rust, Dunn, Maatta

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Oilers winger Zack Kassian will suit up tonight after missing Edmonton’s season opener while in concussion protocol, the team announced (Twitter link).  He suffered the injury in a fight late in the preseason when his helmet came off.  To make room for Kassian, Edmonton has placed forward Devin Shore on IR with an undisclosed injury, notes Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link).  The placement is retroactive to last Saturday which means he’ll have missed seven days already which means Shore could be activated as soon as Tuesday’s game against Anaheim.

Other injury notes from around the NHL:

  • Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov missed training camp due to nagging soreness with head coach Barry Trotz expressing optimism that the veteran wouldn’t miss much time. However, Newsday’s Andrew Gross relays that while the netminder took a few shots at the end of practice on Friday, there remains no timetable for a return.  Trotz ruled out the possibility of a conditioning stint but it remains unclear when Varlamov will actually be able to suit up for New York.
  • Lightning defenseman Cal Foote is roughly a week away from returning, notes Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). He had surgery last month to repair a torn tendon in his hand which caused him to miss all of the preseason.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Tampa Bay asked him to start with a short conditioning stint first; he’d have to agree to the move as he’s no longer waiver-exempt.
  • The Penguins have ruled out winger Bryan Rust for tonight’s game against Chicago, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 29-year-old was injured early in the third period on a hit from Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar on Thursday.  The team is still evaluating Rust’s injury so there’s no timetable yet for his return although he has been placed on IR.
  • Vince Dunn will miss tonight’s game for the Kraken, relays Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link). The blueliner is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed issue.  Haydn Fleury will take Dunn’s place in the lineup.
  • The Kings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated defenseman Olli Maatta off injured reserve. He’ll take the roster spot of Christian Wolanin who was claimed off waivers earlier today by Buffalo.  The 27-year-old had a sparing role with Los Angeles last season, logging less than 17 minutes a game in 41 appearances while recording just four assists.

Los Angeles Kings Waive Christian Wolanin

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The Los Angeles Kings have waived defenseman Christian Wolanin, per TSN’s Chris Johnston. In all likelihood, the roster move means that defenseman Olli Maatta is healthy and will be activated from injured reserve.

Wolanin, now 26, could certainly be a candidate to get picked up on the waiver wire considering the claim of Dennis Cholowski yesterday. Wolanin’s been fairly productive over a sparse four-season career in the NHL, posting five goals and 18 points in 61 career games. All but three of those games have been spent with the Ottawa Senators, but he was dealt to the Kings in March of 2021 in exchange for Michael Amadio.

While he is a left-shot defenseman, he could very well be claimed by the Buffalo Sabres as they deal with an injury to Henri Jokiharju. The Devils could also be a candidate to claim him as both Ty Smith and Damon Severson remain out with injury.

Wolanin makes the league minimum $750,000 on a two-way, one-year deal.

A solid two-way player, Wolanin is fully capable of serving full-time on an NHL roster if need be, more suitably as a seventh defenseman. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Senators in 2015.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/15/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list so far:

Edmonton – Kyle Turris
New Jersey – Will Butcher
NY Islanders – Noah Dobson
NY Rangers – Phil Di Giuseppe, Pavel Buchnevich*, Adam Fox*

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jean-Gabriel Pageau, New York Islanders; Olli Maatta, Los Angeles Kings

For the Rangers, seeing two more names pop up is certainly not a good sign. The team canceled their morning skate today but as of now are still scheduled to take on the Flyers this evening. Perhaps that will change in the next hour, but if not, the team will be without some key players. Fox, in particular, is an important cog who averages over 24 minutes a night and plays on both special teams. In fact, one could argue that he is the team’s most important player given how much he contributes at both ends of the rink. Losing him for tonight is bad, but if he remains on the list for a while the Rangers will be hard-pressed to replace his production.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/14/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. With a full report in on time from all 31 teams, here is the list for today:

Edmonton – Kyle Turris
Los Angeles – Olli Maatta
New Jersey – Will Butcher
NY Islanders – Noah Dobson*, Jean-Gabriel Pageau*
NY Rangers – Phil Di Giuseppe*

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jake DeBrusk, Boston Bruins; Marcus Sorensen, San Jose Sharks

It wasn’t quite an even day for the NHL in their battle against the Coronavirus. Boston’s DeBrusk is off the CPRA list after just 24 hours, while Sorenson is removed after a longer stint. However, there are three new additions out of New York in the Islanders’ Pageau and Dobson plus the Rangers’ Di Giuseppe. Pageau in particular was curiously absent from the Isles’ lineup for their Sunday afternoon contest without any explanation from the club, but as assumed he has been sidelined by the league’s COVID Protocol. The team surely hopes it is a case of a false positive or some other minor occurrence, as Pageau is even more important to New York right now given the long-term injury absence of Anders Lee. 

*denotes new addition

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