Olli Määttä is here to stay.

The Utah Hockey Club defenseman signed a three-year contract extension with a reported $3.5 million average annual value on Monday, the team announced.

“I sleep a lot better and I know coach does, too, when Olli is in the lineup. He’s been impressive,” said general manager Bill Armstrong.

Määttä was acquired by Utah at the end of October in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 30-year-old — who was initially brought over to fill in the gaps injuries to Sean Durzi and John Marino left — was on the last season of a two-year, $6 million contract.

However, Määttä proved to be reliable, steady and consistent on Utah’s backend, and it earned him three more years in Salt Lake City.

“I told Olli this the other day, it was like winning the lottery for us. How excited we were to have him come on board and be part of our organization,” Armstrong said. “We were going through a tough time because we had lost some of our key D and he jumped in and just took hold of the reins.”

Armstrong said the team had been looking at acquiring Määttä during the summer and jumped on the opportunity in October when he became available. Utah wanted to see how Määttä fit within the system and locker room before making a decision on the contract but it did not take long to see his importance in the lineup.

“I think Olli answered all those questions. He not only fit in the culture, he’s helped drive the culture. That’s a big thing for us,” Armstrong said. “By pulling the trade earlier in the season, getting to work with him and see what he’s like — it was a no-brainer for us to give him that extension.”

Määttä has logged 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) through 58 games this season while averaging 20:41 of ice time a night, which comes close to rivaling his career-high of 20:43 in 2014-15.

When with the Red Wings, the former first-round pick was a healthy scratch twice. His purpose was not as clear cut. Määttä changed that when he arrived in Utah.

“I’m obviously really happy. There was a time when I got traded here and it’s never easy. It was a little bit shocking,” Määttä said. “But a couple days after that I knew I was in a good place, a good organization. From the owners down to the coaches — I think they put guys in the right places to excel and I’ve got to be pretty grateful for that.”

Määttä is currently skating with Durzi but took on top-pair responsibilities with Mikhail Sergachev for stretches of the year when the Club’s D-corps had multiple players hurt.

“He stepped in at a really important time for us this year,” head coach André Tourigny said. “He’s a champion. He’s won two Stanley Cups and he behaves like a champion every day.”

Prior to his extension, Määttä was one of three veteran defensemen who were on expiring contracts and, accordingly, are pending free agents. That list is now just Ian Cole and Robert Bortuzzo (who is on injured reserve).

Cole signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with Utah in July and can hit the open market this summer if the Club does not decide to extend him. With Määttä locked in, one may wonder if Utah’s plans around Cole at the NHL trade deadline (March 7, 3 p.m. ET) and beyond change at all.

“I think it all plays itself out as the season comes to an end here,” Armstrong said. “For us, there’s still some guys we want to get signed on the team that are free agents. We’re still looking at all of those options.”

Either way, Utah will have an experienced and calming force on its blueline for the next three seasons in Määttä.

“Guys really want to win and really want to take that next step,” Määttä said. “I’m really happy to be part of it.”

Note to readers • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.