Fansided

Pittsburgh Penguins extend Olli Maatta for six years

By Dave Stevenson

Feb 20, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta (3) skates with the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta (3) skates with the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have signed defenseman Olli Maatta to a six year extension worth over $24 million

The Pittsburgh Penguins are trying vigorously to add a blueliner before the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 29. While they haven’t traded for one yet, that doesn’t mean that they have forgotten to take care of the defensemen that are currently on their team.

Pittsburgh has announced that they have signed defenseman Olli Maatta to a six year extension. It will pay him $24,498,000 over the six years and he will have a $4,083,000 cap hit.

From ESPN:

"The contract includes a limited no-trade clause in the final two years, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. Maatta, the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, has overcome injuries to become an important part of the Penguins defense."

This kind of extension has become a very popular thing. Signing young blue liners to long-term deals is certainly a risky move but it has paid dividends for teams like the Dallas Stars (John Klingberg), Edmonton Oilers (Oscar Klefbom), and the Washington Capitals (John Carlson).

Olli Maatta is certainly a bigger risk than all of those guys because he has had numerous injuries during his young career. He has played in just 151 games in his first three seasons entering Feb. 26. However, this is a necessary risk for the Penguins because Maatta should continue to grow into a great top pairing defenseman and they desperately need to do anything that they can to stabilize their cap situation.

Signing Maatta long-term helps accomplish that lofty goal.

Home/NHL