Defensemen don't always get a lot of attention in the race for the Calder Trophy, but one guy that should playing his way into the discussion this season is Olli Maatta of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Olli Maatta scores pretty goal against Islanders
Olli Maatta is 19 years old and he’s already pretty awesome.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sport
Here he is flying down the middle of the ice and scoring a slick goal against the New York Islanders on Thursday night to give his team a 3-2 lead.
Something that’s worth keeping in mind when watching that clip: He’s only 19 years old.
It’s pretty rare for defensemen that young to take on the type of role that Maatta has this season and play as many minutes as he has. It’s even rarer for them to handle them as well as Maatta has.
That goal gives him five on the season. He also has 13 points in 22 games since the start of December. His 18 points on the season are tied for third among rookie defensemen, and he’s doing it as one of the top-four defensemen on one of the best teams in the league.
GIF via Mike Darnay of PensBurgh
More from SB Nation NHL:
• Olympics: Injuries might alter Canada’s roster | USA roster analysis
See More:
