The Montreal Canadiens have done great financial work lately, most notably signing blossoming star defenseman Lane Hutson to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.85 million.
This follows the sign-and-trade of star defenseman Noah Dobson to an eight-year deal with a $9.5 million AAV, and Kaiden Guhle signed a five-year extension at an AAV of $5.5 million in the 2024 off-season.
That’s a total of $23.85 million per season for the three D-men. That leads us to ask, how much is left for Montreal to re-sign key defenseman Mike Matheson?
Last season, the 31-year-old was the Canadiens’ most-utilized skater, averaging 25:05 of ice time. The year before that, Matheson also led all Habs players in ice time with an average of 25:33 per game.
This is not someone who can’t handle the rigors of the game and the pressure that comes with playing in Montreal.
Instead, Matheson has thrived as a Canadien. Why, then, wouldn’t Habs GM Kent Hughes want to keep Matheson around?
Even with the rising salary cap, giving Matheson a major raise on the $4.875-million he’s earning in the last season of his deal could be a challenge for Hughes, who was Matheson’s agent before he became Montreal’s GM.
It’s not to say that a deal can’t be done. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Matheson is a hometown Hab who understands and copes well in the Montreal market and wants to be there.
However, in a salary-capped league, many teams will give you more money than you may be able to get from the team you want to be a part of.
Canadiens: On Matheson’s Big Start
It’s not always easy being a veteran on a rebuilding team. As the team grows and the prospects become full-time players, your role evolves, changes, and sometimes diminishes. That’s what Mike Matheson underwent with the Montreal Canadiens last season. He lost his spot on the first power play unit, was still counted on to be a minute muncher, and had more defensive responsibilities.
That certainly could be true for Matheson in Montreal. There will be teams that want to make Matheson a very happy camper, so the challenge for Hughes will be to avoid Matheson getting to market. But that means spending more than the Canadiens may be able to afford.
It will be intriguing to see how this circumstance plays out. Matheson is clearly an integral part of the Habs’ present. But while we can’t see him playing for a different team anytime soon, Hughes has to figure out a financial number that works for Matheson and the team as well to keep him around.
That balancing act could be the difference between Matheson staying in Quebec or leaving for greener pastures.
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