Utah Hockey Membership Wanted Depth on Protection
The Utah Hockey Membership has been decimated by accidents to its blue line. John Marino and Sean Durzi are each out long-term. Even earlier than the accidents, GM Invoice Armstrong was trying to enhance his hockey membership, and expectations had been set larger this yr.
Armstrong is aware of how a championship group is constructed and isn’t doing his job as a normal supervisor if he isn’t working the telephones. The method obtained sped up just a little bit with the accidents.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet joined Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick on Sirius XM NHL Community Radio to debate the Utah Hockey Membership’s acquisition of Olli Maatta and why it was him and never another person.
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NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Scott Laughlin: “Friedge, only a deal that befell late final night time, although, a minor deal, proper? However was it a deal that Invoice Armstrong needed to make understanding about Durzi and Marino being out for so long as they’re going to be out, simply to get a man again from Detroit as they did for Olli Maatta for a third-round decide?
Simply communicate to that as a result of, once more, Utah is off to begin. They’ve fallen again just a little bit right here of late, and certainly they need to sort of grasp round just a little bit and including some depth to their blue line core.”
Elliotte Friedman: “Nicely, the one factor that shocked me about it’s that Maatta is a left-hand shot proper. In order that they had been searching for righties. However, I imply, we knew they had been going to do one thing, they usually didn’t need anyone with time period. And his contract is up after this yr. He’s additionally a UFA after this yr. So it sort of checked all of the containers that we had been fascinated about.
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However I used to be just a bit, taking a look at him, just because I used to be searching for righties. However I don’t suppose anybody is shocked that Utah did it. I don’t suppose anybody is shocked at Utah, that Utah did it after that sport. It obtained Detroit a bit larger decide than I feel loads of us had been anticipating, however I don’t suppose that’s going to shock anybody that he ended up being the man.”
