Matthias Plachta

History

2006-07: Matthias Plachta skated for the Jungadler Mannheim U18 team in Germany as a 15-year-old. He scored 3 goals with 4 assists in 31 regular season games. Mannheim finished first in the regular season, falling to second-place Kolner EC in the finals. Plachta had 1 goal in six playoff games.

2007-08: Plachta played for Jungadler Mannheim as the team captured the U18 championship and played for the Germany U17 team at the 2008 World Hockey Challenge in Canada. He scored 11 goals with 23 assists and had 24 penalty minutes, skating in 34 of 36 regular season games for Mannheim. Jungadler was the top team in the DNL regular season and defeated EC Bad Tolz in the playoff finals. Plachta scored 5 goals with 4 assists and 12 penalty minutes in eight playoff games. He scored 2 goals with 6 penalty minutes in five games for Germany at the WHC. Germany finished ninth in the 10-team event, defeating Slovakia, 5-1, in the ninth-place game.

2008-09: Plachta made his debut at the men’s level in Germany and had 36 points in 25 regular season games for Jungadler in DNL play. He played for Germany’s U18 team in the 2009 World Junior Championship. Plachta played 13 games for second division club Heilbronner Falken, including three playoff games. He scored his only point (a goal) in the playoffs and had 2 penalty minutes. He scored 15 goals with 21 assists and 26 penalty minutes for Jungladier Mannheim, which dominated the DNL. The club won 29 of 36 regular season games to finish first and rolled through the playoffs, defeating second-place EV Landshut in the finals. Plachta scored 6 goals with 6 assists and 6 penalty minutes in eight playoff games. He was tied for second in scoring for Germany behind leading scorer Marc El-Sayed at the WJC, finishing -5 with 3 goals and 2 assists and 6 penalty minutes in six games. Germany was relegated to Division I after finishing 10th.

2009-10: Plachta made his debut in Germany’s DEL — appearing in three games with Adler Mannheim — and played for Heilbronner Falken in the DEL second league. He played for the Germany U20 team at the Division I Group A World Junior Championship in France. Plachta had an even plus/minus with no points nor penalties in limited ice time for Adler. He scored 6 goals with 8 assists and 59 penalty minutes in 43 regular season games for Heilbronner. Falken finished sixth and lost in the playoff quarterfinals. Plachta was scoreless with 2 penalty minutes in six playoff games. He scored 2 goals with 5 assists and was +6 with 4 penalty minutes in five games for Germany at the 2010 Division IA WJC. Germany was undefeated in the six-team tournament, earning promotion to the top division for 2010-11.

2010-11: Plachta played 45 regular season games and six playoff contests for Adler Mannheim in his first DEL season and played for the Germany U20 team in the 2011 World Junior Championship. He scored 6 goals with 6 assists and was +6 with 8 penalty minutes in the regular season. Adler finished sixth and reached the quarterfinals in the playoffs. Plachta was -1 with no points and 2 penalty minutes in the playoffs. He played four games on loan to Heilbronner in the second league, scoring 1 goal with 2 assists and 4 penalty minutes. Plachta scored 1 goal with 1 assist and was -3 with 16 penalty minutes in six games for Germany at the 2011 WJC. Germany finished last and was relegated to Division I for 2011-12.

2011-12: Plachta skated in 49 of 52 regular season games for Adler Mannheim in his second DEL season and played for the Germany national team for the first time in international play. He scored 4 goals with 3 assists and was +1 with 32 penalty minutes in the regular season. Adler Mannheim reached the DEL finals after finishing fourth in the regular season, falling to regular season champ Eisbaren Berlin. Plachta had an even plus/minus with 1 assist and 6 penalty minutes in 14 playoff games. He scored 2 goals with 2 assists in two games for Team Germany but did not play for the squad in the 2012 World Championship.

2012-13: Plachta scored 12 goals with 10 assists in 42 regular season games for second-place Adler Mannheim in his third DEL season and was +3 with 14 penalty minutes. He scored 2 goals with 2 assists and was +1 with 2 penalty minutes in six playoff games as Adler Mannheim lost in the playoff quarterfinals. Plachta skated in seven international games with the Germany national team, scoring 1 goal with 2 penalty minutes.

2013-14: Plachta skated in 45 of 52 regular season games for Adler Mannheim in his fourth season with the club and played for Germany in the 2014 World Championship. He scored 4 goals with 8 assists and was -5 with 38 penalty minutes in the DEL regular season. Adler Mannheim finished fourth and lost to Kolner Haie in the playoff quarterfinals. Plachta had no points with 2 penalties and was -1 in three playoff games. He was -2 and scored 1 goal in six games for Germany at the World Championship. Germany finished 14th in the 16-team tournament.

2014-15: Plachta was the third-leading scorer for Adler Mannheim behind former NHLers Glen Metropolit and Jon Rheault as the club captured the DEL regular season and playoff titles. He tied Rheault for the club lead in goals with 14 and had 21 assists, finishing +19 with 73 penalty minutes in 47 games. Plachta scored 5 goals with 4 assists and was +1 with 6 penalty minutes in 15 playoff games as Mannheim rolled through the playoffs, defeating Ingolstadt ERC in six games in the best-of-seven playoff finals. Plachta played in his second world championship tournament with Germany, scoring 2 goals with no penalties and finishing -6 in seven games. He signed a one-year entry-level contract with Arizona as an undrafted free agent in May 2015.

2015-16: Plachta skated in the AHL in his first season in North America, beginning the year with Arizona affiliate Springfield and playing 46 games before being acquired by Pittsburgh at the end of February in exchange for Russian forward Sergei Plotnikov. Plachta finished the year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He scored 4 goals with 10 assists and was -9 with 38 penalty minutes in 66 regular season games between the two teams.

Talent Analysis

Plachta enjoyed the best year of his career in 2014-15, and was rewarded for those efforts with a one year entry-level contract. He's a heavy winger that plays with a certain edge to his game, but still has good hands and a decent skating stride that should translate well.

Future

Plachta skated in the AHL in 2015-16 after signing a one-year entry-level contract with Arizona, beginning the season with the Springfield Falcons and finishing the year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after being acquired by Pittsburgh in a February trade. The 25-year-old has some value as a lower line, two-way forward. He would become an unrestricted free agent if not tendered a qualifying offer by Pittsburgh.