Olli Määttä’s fierce form continues – only one NHL star in better shape
Olli Määttä is currently experiencing a new spring in his career with the Calgary Flames.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion, who fell to an extra defender position with the Utah Mammoth, was traded to the Flames amidst a rebuilding phase at the trade deadline in early March.
Since then, the 31-year-old defender, who had been following games from the “popcorn section” for a long time, has taken off in an unprecedented manner. Most recently, Määttä recorded 1+1 points in his team’s 7-3 victory against the Vancouver Canucks in the early hours of Sunday.
Määttä has now played 12 games in a Flames jersey, with stats of 2+8=10. The difference from the beginning of the season is staggering, as the defender had only 0+1 points in 22 games with Utah.
NHL reporter Darren Haynes highlighted quite a statistical fact on the messaging service X: since joining the Flames, Määttä has accumulated the second most points among all NHL defenders at even strength.
The only player ahead of Määttä in the stats is Pittsburgh Penguins star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has scored 15 points at even strength since March 7.
The Flames have already lost their chance at the NHL playoffs, so the red-hot Määttä may very well be available for the Lions in the World Championships in Switzerland.
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