Maatta is one of those players who everyone was high on, came in and played pretty well initially but flamed out just as quickly, as he’s never really grown into the player a lot of people thought he would. Whether he’s permanently gun shy can also be argued but it doesn’t appear to be the case.
Honestly he’s just a player who was able to play in the NHL at a younger age without being fully developed with an all around game. He really is still the player he was at 18-19. Just like Risto in Buffalo, little has developed with his game since being drafted. As much as he was able to play at a young age in Pittsburgh, unfortunately it stunted his overall growth as a player. You don’t learn on the job at the NHL level. An indictment of Pittsburgh’s development team.
Many, including myself, thought his upside offensively would come but it just never really has.
Alot of young D, like Sanderson in Tuesday’s draft, or Seider last year, you look at their skill set and say there’s no reason they shouldn’t end up having a good deal of offensive upside. We seen Seider’s game take on that element with Grand Rapids last year, making him now look like he not only deserved to go that high but maybe have been the first D off the board. Just like Sanderson this year compared to Drysdale, Seider was much closer to to Byrum offensively than Byrum was to Seider defensively. The exact reason we may see Sanderson go ahead of Drysdale. I know I’d take him over Drysdale.
Anyway, many D are drafted higher for this reason. Their skill set says they “should” become more of an offensive weapon. as we’ve seen many young D over the years show more offense after they’re drafted than as a junior player. Like Sanderson this year or Seider last year, Maata was “that guy“ his draft year. The only question was how much he’d evolve offensively. It just never really came. Like I said above, Pittsburgh just didn’t develop him like they should’ve.
Unfortunately those days are over for him now. He is what he is at this point. He’ll never be much more than a bottom pairing guy or a low end #4. There’s an appearance of some laziness but sometimes, especially with Europeans, it’s not laziness but more of a methodical way he skates and plays.
If anyone is thinking he’s going to come in and be a 4-5 year replacement for Martinez, you’re going to be horribly disappointed.
Nothing against Morrison, but obviously 29 other teams just passed up acquiring Maatta pretty cheap.
Probably a one and done with LA and ends up in Seattle next year. The exact type who ends up not being protected but chosen in an expansion draft due to his skill set even though he doesn’t seem to use it fully.
