Montreal Canadiens Role Profiles: Mike Matheson

Despite the 2025-26 season being the first year that Matheson wasn’t on one of the two power play units since being acquired by the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 2022, he still managed to be the team’s most used skater throughout the regular season. Although, unlike previous seasons, it was by only a small margin, as his 24:10 a night narrowly beat out Lane Hutson, who played 23:46 a game for the Canadiens. Then, in the playoffs, it was Hutson who had the most minutes as he averaged 25:27 vs. Matheson’s 24:51. This and Hutson’s consistent offensive production were signs that showed it may be time for Hutson to become the top defenseman in ice time for the Montreal Canadiens.

With that being said, Matheson likely won’t have to play 24-25 minutes every game anymore, which can allow him to play with more energy throughout the now-84-game season. As great as Matheson has been the last few years, he can often make mistakes he normally wouldn’t make late in games as the fatigue starts to show. This is why playing less will allow him to be more efficient throughout the season.

Being removed from the power play completely last season, thanks to the arrival of Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, may have been one of the best things that happened to Matheson since he arrived in Montreal. While he wouldn’t get as many opportunities to produce offence, it gave him a chance to focus solely on the defensive side of the game without spreading himself too thin across all situations as he remained the top defenseman option on the penalty kill. 

This led to Matheson having arguably his best season in a Montreal Canadiens jersey in terms of his all-around game. Even though he got nearly no power-play time, Matheson managed to put up the second-best point total of his career with seven goals and 37 points in 78 games. However, it goes beyond his offensive numbers, as he played the best hockey of his career in his own end, which often included playing the entire two minutes on a penalty kill. He has developed a good knack for defending with his stick as well as being a shot blocker. The fact that he does this more than ever is why the Montreal Canadiens can trust him in the role that he played last season. Add all those defensive aspects to his skating ability, and the Montreal Canadiens have a guy who can dictate play in his own end. 

Matheson’s skating is still his best asset, as he can be deadly going up ice if his opponents give him the space. It also serves as a great way to get the puck out of the zone if there are no passing options to get it out of harm’s way. 

If Matheson’s minutes go down to 20-22 minutes a game for this coming season and decrease more over the course of his contract, the Canadiens will end up getting the best version of him at a discounted price as the salary cap rises.