NHL Rumours: Montreal Canadiens Looking to Extend Another Defenceman

Analysis: This shouldn’t come as a surprise to many. Matheson has been a key part of the Canadiens’ defence since coming to Montreal. However, with the acquisition of Noah Dobson, many pundits believed Matheson would be the odd man out. The reigning Calder Trophy winner, Lane Hutson, exploded onto the scene last season. Kaiden Guhle is already a staple in the top four defenders, and with David Reinbacher nipping at the heels, it looked like Matheson’s days would be numbered in Montreal. That doesn’t seem like the case now. Matheson has started the season off strong and has looked to be the perfect partner for Dobson in the early going. Given his high level of play, leadership qualities and the fact that Montreal is his home and where he wants to play, it does make sense that the Canadiens would entertain this.

Cost to Keep Matheson

The issue that may stand in the way is that Matheson doesn’t want to sign a short-term deal. He wants to lock in long-term, and it’s unknown if the Canadiens want to entertain that piece of it. It’s also unknown how much Matheson would be looking for on a new contract. He’s certainly earned more than his current AAV, which is $4.875 million, however, how much more? The Canadiens are clearly building something special and managed to get Hutson to take significantly less than anyone could have ever imagined. The same can be said about Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Dobson also left money on the table to come to Montreal. The players are showing they’re all buying into the culture here, and they believe this group has what it takes to win. It’s hard to believe that Kent Hughes would entertain anything above $6 million AAV for Matheson. If anything, he’d likely want to keep it closer to $5 million. Would this be acceptable for Matheson? That’s the million-dollar question.

Reinbacher Emerging

With Reinbacher so close to being ready, it also puts the Canadiens in a tough position. While it’s a great problem to have so much depth on the backend, it also creates a small problem. They want to get Reinbacher up with the club sooner rather than later. This will let him develop and grow with the team. Of course, they don’t want to rush him. But being as close as he is, and the culture they’re currently building in Montreal, you want your top prospects and future of your team around that. They want this group to win and grow together, and surely want Reinbacher to be a part of that. They also see him as a part of their top four. Which is understandable given his upside and drafting him fifth overall. But does keeping Matheson around long-term block him from jumping into this role? We’d have to believe so.

If Matheson does truly want to stay in Montreal long-term, it’s certainly going to be on Kent Hughes’ terms rather than his own. Matheson is a tremendous player. One who is a key piece to the Canadiens’ success and should be respected as such. We anticipate the two parties will be able to come to a common ground to make a deal work for both parties. However, Kent Hughes has built an outstanding defence group. If Matheson prices himself too high, Hughes may just have to let him walk in free agency.