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Mike Matheson: if he’s not too greedy, he could stay in Montreal
Félix Forget
Mike Matheson: if he’s not too greedy, he could stay in Montreal
Credit: Getty Images
A few weeks ago, Mike Matheson met with the Habs in Buffalo. The meeting, which lasted 90 minutes during the Combine, probably focused on the defenseman’s future in town.

He’ll be a free agent in a year’s time, after all: you’d think the subject would have come up.

In fact, there are so many left-handed defensemen in town that it’s logical to think that Matheson’s future is far from Montreal. Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle are here to stay, after all, and there are others in the pipeline.

That said, for the time being, Matheson still has a lot of value in town. He eats up big minutes in a tough role, and allows Hutson to shine offensively.

So, the situation is a little complex… but Mathias Brunet, in a piece for La Presse, talked a little about all this, and noted that if Matheson isn’t too greedy (in terms of his salary demands), there’s a world in which he could stay in town.

Remember, this is a project that could be of interest to the main player.

The Canadiens, who must have Hutson’s contract in mind at the moment, don’t necessarily want to overpay for Matheson. On the other hand, if the defenseman likes it here and is willing to leave some money on the table, there may be a way to reach an agreement.

On the other hand, in a world where we simply can’t, trading Matheson could be interesting for the Habs. There are very few good left-handed defensemen on the market this summer, so the Habs would be in a strong position.

And according to Brunet, a deal involving Matheson could yield “very interesting” assets for the Canadiens.

As things stand, the Habs have the upper hand with Matheson. Knowing that he could bring in big money on the trade market gives the team leverage in contract negotiations with the defenseman, who will have to be willing to make concessions if he wants to stay.

Because in reality, the Habs of 2025-26 would be much worse off without Matheson… but depending on what’s available, that could be a necessary evil, unless you see him willing to sign for less to stay in town beyond 2025-26.


overtime

– What will the Rangers do with their pick?

– Small contract in New York.

– Trevor Zegras wants to play center.

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