The Detroit Red Wings needed to make improvements on their blue line, especially after how last season ended with the 2021-22 version of the roster finishing dead last in the NHL in goals against average. 

Among the many signings that GM Steve Yzerman made on Wednesday was bringing aboard defenseman Olli Maatta, who signed a one year, $2.25 million deal. Maatta was a part of Pittsburgh's most recent Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017, and has also spent time playing with the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, with whom he finished this past season. 

And for Maatta, it was the excitement of the direction of the team that made signing with Detroit an enticing option. 

They're young but I think when you see the players they had before free agency started and now adding several more pieces, it's a great place, it's an exciting time," Maatta said. "Everyone knows, everyone can see it. They're up and coming and they want to be contenders. I think it's a big step and I want to be a part of it."

"I heard nothing bad of Detroit, it was all great things. How exciting the team was and they want to be a contender, so like I said I want to be a part of it. It felt right."

Maatta isn't known for having an offensive flair, having scored 30 goals and 106 assists in 534 career games, along with five goals and 22 assists in 85 career postseason games. However, he thinks that he can bring more than just defensive play to the team. 

"I'm a defensive guy, but I think I have more offense in my game than my stats show the last couple of years, it's something I've definitely been working on," he said. "My mindset has always been keeping our own goal clean; there's so many detailing that go into that. Playing with the puck, and if you have the puck, the other team can't score. A defensive defenseman, when they say that there's much more than just defending....you have to play some offense, too." 

Among Maatta's new teammates is 2022 reigning Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider, whom Maatta enjoys watching.

"Obviously he plays with an edge, but has a lot of skill," Maatta said of Seider. "He plays both ways, and he's an awesome player to watch. He's already a great player, he's a stud. It's exciting to see, but they have a bunch of other guys too. They drafted really well, they have a deep group of prospects coming up."