Mike Matheson: at $6 million, he would be the 61st-highest-paid defenseman in the NHL

Mike Matheson has signed a five-year contract extension with the Canadiens.

For the duration of the agreement, he will earn an annual salary of $6 million. That's a very nice salary for a player like him… because we know how good he is.

But you have to look a little further to see just how good a contract this is for the Habs.

If Matheson were making $6M right now, he'd be the… 61st highest-paid defenseman in the National League (tied with Jonas Brodin and Sean Durzi).

61e!!!

Mike Matheson is 31 years old, and he's going to slow down at some point. But, to say the least, he's a bargain right now at $4.875 M per year… and he'll be a bargain for the next few years, too.

comes down to this. matheson is a stuff guy. he will always be visible on the ice whether things are going well or poorly.

this season things are going OK – better than last year – but he has been v fortunate in terms of on-ice shooting and it's making him look better than he is https://t.co/xzWWavZNkM

– JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 28, 2025

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that Mike Matheson is one of the 30 best defensemen in the National League right now.

He's got his offensive skills, he's gotten so good defensively… and his importance to the Canadiens is huge when you look at his role and usage so far this season.

Matheson spends an average of nearly 25 minutes (24:50) per game on the ice. That's really, really not trivial…

But despite his important role in Montreal, his salary remains moderate by National League standards, and this is where we realize that Kent Hughes has handled the situation well. We thought there might be a chance of the defenseman being traded last season… but honestly, the Canadiens did so well by keeping him in Montreal.

And now, it's the club that will benefit for years to come.

Overtime

– Speaking of the wolf:

“I know few players who love playing in Montreal as much as Mike Matheson!” – @mndamico @MaxLalonde_ pic.twitter.com/DmoQ8SUcnA

– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) November 28, 2025

– Well done.

Boeser's 13th career goal against the Sharks. Ten of those have now come IN San Jose https://t.co/rCcAsnDS4 w

– Cam Tucker (@CamTucker_Sport) November 28, 2025

– News in MLB:

His arsenal is well-stocked. https://t.co/SjPawpaHlR

– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) November 28, 2025