16. Tom Wilson
17. Sebastian Collberg
18. Matt Finn
19. Andrei Vasilevski
20. Slater Koekkoek
21. Henrik Samuelsson
22. Derrick Pouliot
23. Tomas Hertl
24. Hampus Lindholm
25. Nicolas Kerdiles
26. Scott Laughton
27. Ludvig Bystrom
28. Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves
29. Oscar Dansk
30. Malcolm Subban
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Ottawa is well on the upswing. After a Calder Cup win for it's farm club a year ago, following a disappointing season that resulted in a Sixth Overall Pick, Ottawa has begun it's resurgence early with a playoff spot. A cupboard that's stocked well with the likes of Mika Zibanejad, Stefan Noesen and Matt Puempel, things are looking up in the Nation's Capital as they hope to continue on an upward trajectory.
"With the fifteenth pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Ottawa is proud to select, from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League:
Olli Määttä."
Standing at six-foot-two and a hefty 200 lbs, Maatta is a sizeable rearguard with a pro-like game. After going first in the CHL Import Draft to London (ahead of Mikhail Grigorenko), Maatta came into this season as an OHL rookie on a championship calibre team and was able to play a big role. That in and of itself says a lot about the abilities of this Finn. However, it was in the playoffs that people really took notice, tying for fourth in OHL scoring with 23 points in 19 games. He also led his London team in scoring in the post-season.
Olli isn't a burner on his skates, with only average speed. However, he shows great agility and four-way mobility in closing gaps. His stride shows fluidity and is effective in getting him around the rink well.
Defensively Maatta was a rock, shutting down the OHL's best on a nightly basis. Not overly physical, Maatta will lay into an opponent when the situation presents itself. He utilizes a very strong active stick and terrific gap control to steer forwards to the outside. He wins puck battles down low using his size and strength. On the PK, Maatta is at his best, identifying holes and stepping into them, or communicating to his teammates to do so. Not to mention he's a shot-blocking machine.
A consistent player, Maatta has his head on a swivel at all times and transitions play with precision and intelligence. He rarely carries the puck himself, preferring to move it quickly with stretch passes to his high forwards. He has strong puck skills, but seems to more of a QB than shooter on the point. That being said, he seems to be learning new weapons at an alarming rate, always improving his game.
His season, however, was derailed by some injuries, most notably a concussion suffered at the World Juniors. The only question about Maatta comes in his ultimate upside to be a steady top end defender or just a good reliable two-way Dman to play down in the lineup.
Having seen Maatta more than 40 times live this season made me appreciate his quiet effectiveness.
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