The Montreal Canadiens and Mike Matheson agreeing on a five-year contract extension might be a surprise to some fans. Matheson seemed like the perfect piece for the organization to move once they were in the middle of their rebuild. The Canadiens are deep on defense, and they have offensive defensemen, so keeping Matheson seemed a bit redundant. However, as Montreal exited the rebuild quicker than expected, Matheson's veteran leadership became a strength.
The addition of Noah Dobson in the offseason has also changed the way the Canadiens look at Matheson. He has been thriving alongside the young right-shot defenseman, as both players can blend their offensive talents with some above-average defense to be a formidable first pairing for the Canadiens. The presence of Matheson also protects last year's Calder Trophy winner, Lane Hutson, who is an elite offensive force but can't always play against the other team's top line.
Ironically, Hutson's joining the Canadiens last season was also a significant boost for Matheson's perspective within the fanbase. One concern about Matheson was that he was an offensive defenseman who didn't really fit with the rest of the first powerplay unit. Montreal's strength lies in its puck-handlers on the flanks, and Matheson tended to shoot first before distributing to them. Hutson joined the team and took over those duties, which freed up Matheson to run the second unit.
Once Dobson arrived, Matheson wasn't on either unit. However, he still leads the Canadiens with 24:50 time on ice per game, which is also 10th in the league. Despite some of his flaws, it's clear that Martin St. Louis values what Matheson brings to the group.
Mike Matheson's value to the Canadiens
Despite losing his spot on the powerplay, Matheson is on pace to record his second-highest career points total. The highest came in 2023-24 when he tallied 62 points for the Canadiens, and this year he already has 14 points in 22 games. Even though he isn't getting powerplay reps, Matheson might be even more valuable with his ability to contribute at five-on-five.
Alexandre Carrier is the Canadiens' top defensive defenseman, but Matheson is quickly showing Montreal's fanbase that he has some of those skills. Matheson had some of those traits in his past stop with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but his defense started to decline once he became such a significant offensive contributor for Montreal.
Matheson is now second on the team in blocked shots, mostly coming from his penalty kill role, and second on the team in defensive zone starts, according to MoneyPuck. St. Louis considers Matheson one of his top defensive players. However, should he rely on him as heavily?
Matheson is the third-worst defenseman on the Canadiens for Corsi, which is the measure of shot attempts for and against. He is just one percentage point ahead of Kaiden Guhle and Carrier, who sit at the bottom. Matheson's 41% is the worst mark of his career to this point.
The Canadiens feel like they are a better team when Matheson is on it. The numbers will tell you that it's relatively even with him on the ice, despite what some sectors of the fanbase might say to you. While five years is a bit of a stretch for the Canadiens, having Matheson at $6 million annually with the salary cap rising every year isn't the worst-case scenario.
Could the Canadiens have let Matheson walk and find a younger defender who could serve the same purpose? Chances are, they could. However, sometimes the familiarity of a veteran leader on the backend is more important than a lateral move, especially for a younger team like the Canadiens.
Mike Matheson's grade: B+
Canadiens' grade: C+
