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Olli Maatta Proving His Worth in NHL Stanley Cup Final

By Suraj Sukumar

Jun 4, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta (3) is chased by San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) in the third period of game three of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 4, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta (3) is chased by San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) in the third period of game three of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Olli Maatta is helping the Pittsburgh Penguins dominate the San Jose Sharks defensively in the Stanley Cup Final.

Olli Maatta has seen incredible ups and downs throughout his young NHL career but has become an important piece for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ blueline.

After losing Trevor Daley for the remainder of the season, Maatta has stepped up throughout the Stanley Cup Final and is becoming a household name in the process.

At just 21 years old, Maatta has seen it all. He suffered a cancer scare along with multiple shoulder surgeries, and has been injured quite regularly over the past few seasons. He missed the second round with a head injury and was scratched for two games during the third round.

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Now, Maatta is enjoying tremendous success in the Stanley Cup Final and has three assists in four games with a plus-3 rating.

He is averaging close to 20 minutes a game and is playing alongside Ben Lovejoy on the second pairing. He is also garnering powerplay time on the second unit and looks the healthiest he has been since his rookie campaign.

After a very impressive rookie season, Maatta’s production dipped significantly due to his health issues on and off the ice.

In 2013-14, Maatta finished the regular season with nine goals and 20 assists in 78 games, scoring six points on the powerplay and maintaining a plus-8 rating.

Last season, Maatta was limited to just 20 games and scored a goal with nine assists. He played 67 games this season and scored six goals with 13 assists while maintaining an impressive plus-27 rating.

While known for his offensive instincts as a youngster, Olli Maatta is developing into a consistent and reliable defenseman at the NHL level.

Earlier this year, Maatta signed a 6-year, $24.5 million contract extension with the Penguins, and looks to be the future of the blueline once the Kris Letang era comes to an end.

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Until then, the two will share incredible success together, as the Penguins look as good as ever with a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final against the resilient San Jose Sharks.

Does he have 1A potential?

Based on his overall offensive skills and his defensive improvements, Maatta could approach that level in the coming years.

One of the most important positions in the game is the number one defenseman, and only so many players can consistently produce over 82 games and beyond.

For Olli Maatta, the physical and mental skills are there, but his health will always be a question till he can play a full season and produce accordingly.

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He looks remarkable in the Stanley Cup Final and showed tremendous promise as a rookie. However, the next couple of seasons will dictate his overall status as a top pairing defenseman and, at just 21 years old, the trajectory looks really good for the Finnish-born player.

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