Red Wings bolster blue-line depth on second day of 2022-23 free agency

DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman remained busy on the second day of free agency, welcoming two more new players to Hockeytown.

On Thursday, Detroit officially signed defensemen Olli Maatta and Mark Pysyk to one-year contracts.
And after inking six free agents on Wednesday,
Yzerman believes the Red Wings have a deeper roster heading into the 2022-23 season.
"We had roster spots open and available with needs to be addressed," Yzerman said to the media in a free agency Zoom call. "We felt we addressed, positionally, some needs. We needed simply to add players to obviously fill out a roster."

To Maatta, Detroit felt like the right fit at the right time in his career.
"I think it's an exciting time, especially when you look at their team," said Maatta, who had one goal and seven assists in 66 games last season with the Los Angeles Kings. "They're young, but I think when you see the players they already had before free agency started, now adding a bunch of big pieces, I think that's a great place and it's an exciting time. Everybody knows; you can definitely see it."
Maatta plans on being a mainstay on Detroit's backline, but also hopes to contribute offensively.
"I'm known as a defensive guy," Maatta said. "But I think I got more offense in my game than my stats show the last couple of years. That's definitely something I've been working on."
Maatta also brings valuable postseason experience to a young Red Wings roster, winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
The 27-year-old Maatta said he's looking forward to seeing Moritz Seider's development up close.
"He's an awesome player to watch," Maatta said. "He's already a great player and he's gonna be a stud, so it's just exciting to see that."

In addition to Maatta, the Red Wings strengthened their defensive corps by signing the 30-year-old Pysyk. He played for the Buffalo Sabres last season, notching 12 points (3-9-12) in 68 games.
Now, with several fresh faces set to take the ice for the Red Wings this fall, Yzerman is looking forward to new head coach Derek Lalonde and his staff putting their imprint on the new roster.
"You need good players to win games," Yzerman said. "And you need good players to be good offensively and defensively. It all comes down to that. It's up to the coach and the coaching staff to try to maximize the talent they have and to find a way to be the most efficient in all areas with the players that we have."