When the Calgary Flames acquired Olli Maatta from the Utah Mammoth on Mar. 4 in the MacKenzie Weegar trade, most expected Maatta to be the salary dump that makes the deal work and then fill a roster spot for the rest of the season. The spotlight was supposed to be on the two second-round draft picks and prospect Johnathan Castagna.

But you could almost say this trade has shifted from being labelled the Weegar trade to the Maatta trade.

It’s not that Weegar has been awful in his first dozen games with Utah. He has a goal and two assists and has brought much-needed stability to the Mammoth blue line. Still, it’s nothing compared to what Maatta has done in Calgary over the same span.

As a 13-year NHL veteran, the best stretch of Maatta’s career came early during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Over six seasons in Pittsburgh, Maatta recorded his career-high 29 points twice and won two Stanley Cups.

Since leaving Pittsburgh, Maatta has struggled to find consistency and has dealt with injuries. He has surpassed the 20-point mark only once since. During his season and a half in Utah, his numbers were underwhelming. He recorded 18 points in 70 games last season and managed just one assist in 22 games this year. His play even led to a stretch of 21 consecutive healthy scratches this season.

Still, it was clear he was capable of more. He has been a dependable presence on the blue line throughout his career and has consistently represented Finland in international competition, including this year’s Olympics and last year’s Four Nations Face-Off.

As Craig Conroy continues to impress in his role as general manager, it’s becoming clear the Flames may have seen more in Maatta than just a salary dump to make the deal work.

Maatta arrived in Calgary looking for a fresh start and has seized the opportunity, playing some of the best hockey of his career.

Through his first 13 games with the Flames, Maatta has already recorded two goals and eight assists. Over an 82-game season, that projects to roughly a 63-point pace for a defenceman who has never surpassed 30 points.

Beyond the offensive production, Maatta has stepped into a top four role and remained dependable in his own end, as he has throughout his career. There were minutes available after Weegar’s departure, but Maatta has filled them seamlessly.

He has also given head coach Ryan Huska added lineup versatility. Maatta has played alongside nearly every Flames defenceman and has taken younger players under his wing. It’s no coincidence that Zayne Parekh appears more confident and is producing offensively, as expected.

No slight to Weegar or Rasmus Andersson but having a Stanley Cup Champion defenceman in the room to show younger players how to approach the game and go about your business does make a difference and we’re seeing it each and every game right now.

The Flames are entering a difficult stretch to close out the season, facing either top teams in the league or clubs battling for playoff spots. Calgary has been riding high of late, so it remains to be seen whether Maatta and the rest of the team can carry that momentum forward.

For Maatta it’s been a small sample size but whether or not this is fluke, remains to be seen. If Maatta continues playing at this level, the idea of him being a salary dump disappears. Instead, he could emerge as a key veteran piece for a Flames team that is getting younger and poised to improve.

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