initially thought and he is willing to work harder with more dedication than most NHL players. Maatta’s performance showed General Manager Ray Shero and head coach Dan Bylsma, that he was ready for the big stage.

During the 2013-14 season, Maatta went from an unknown entity to a top-four defender and logging over 18:30 of ice time per night. He additionally showed more offensive prowess than many expected as he scored nine goals and assisted on 20 more, for a total of 29 points. However it was not until after their playoff run that it was announced that Maatta would have surgery to repair his shoulder.

Maatta recovered quicker than anticipated and was ready for training camp, but despite starting 2014-15 on a tear, his season was more than forgettablethe Penguins acquired Ian Cole from the St. Louis Blues. Robert Bortuzzo and a seventh-round draft pick went to St. Louis and Cole came to Pittsburgh, a deal that many still consider a heist. The 26-year old defender was a first-round pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft and was never given a chance on St. Louis’ loaded blue line.

Cole needed change of scenery and he proved to the Penguins that he was rightfully selected in the first-round. In 20 regular season games with Pittsburgh, he scored eight points, while in his first 54 games with St. Louis he only scored nine. He saw the highest ice time of his career of 18:30 minutes per night through the end of the regular season where he worked his way