The Best Option for the Montreal Canadiens is to Keep Mike Matheson

Montreal Canadiens Should Try to Keep Mike Matheson Long-Term

Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff joined TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked about what the Montreal Canadiens will do with defenseman Mike Matheson. Would it be wise for Montreal to keep him around with a still very young defence corps?

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Host: “Look, we had a long conversation about Mike Matheson yesterday, and we’re going to just continue it when we hit Habs lunch again today, because he’s got a year left on his contract. And we were just suggesting, it’s like the question, would you extend him? Would you not extend him with all these young guns coming up with Montreal? It’s an interesting question.”

Anthony Di Marco: “I guess it comes down to the dollar’s value, right? Because I look at Montreal’s defense long term, and for me, it’s Lane Hutson, number one, Kaiden Guhle number two, on the left side of that blue line. And look, you have to really do a deep dive into Kaiden Guhle’s injury situation. He’s always been kind of an uphill battle for him as far as his health goes.

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But Mike Matheson would be like the perfect elder statesman for an otherwise very young blue line. You’re going to assume that Hutson will be with Dobson. Eventually, you’re hoping that (David) Reinbacher steps into a second pair role with Kaiden Guhle, but beyond that, like sure, you have Arber Xhekaj who could challenge for that third defensive slot on the third pair’s left side.

But like the numbers game, for me, doesn’t really sound all too encouraging for Mike Matheson, and he’s probably someone who could get a higher AAV elsewhere. But in terms of being like an elder statesman, a good vet, a good pro, a good shade away as well from a point player, it would make a lot of sense, but it will be a coin flip, in my opinion.”

Host: “Yeah, I look at a couple things. One, he’s the only player that’s over 30 on that blue line, and they’re very young. So you mentioned that. I also think that there’s guys like Struble and Xhekaj and you could have a debate about Guhle, who you know are ready to make that next step. But even in two years, Matheson at 33 might still be better than Struble at 25, right? Like, you just don’t know what that progress, but the Canadiens are gonna have to make a choice. But the last thing is, there’s, there’s a guy that understands this market, and two, he has a very strong relationship with the General Manager.”

Di Marco: “Well, that’s it. And like, for me, I think it should come down to what you think Kaiden Guhle is. Like that for me, is the big X factor in all this, because stylistically, and from like a vet rookie perspective, like would Mike Matheson not be like the prototypical perfect partner for a guy like David Reinbacher, who I imagine they’re hoping to be a staple on that second pair, at the very least, in the top four for the foreseeable future for Montreal.

So like, if you’re going to keep Mike Matheson, I can imagine Kaiden Guhle is going to be part of the chat as well. And look, obviously, Guhle spent a lot of time on the right side. Lane Hutson has spent a lot of time on the right side. And maybe one those guys do start this season on the right side. But for me, the arrival of Noah Dobson is to finally plug that hole on the right side of the top pair.

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Like, for me, long term, maybe even short term, maybe even immediately to start the season, your top pair is Lane Hutson-Noah Dobson, and then after that, it’s kind of a coin flip. Like, does Reinbacher start in the NHL? If not, maybe go back to that Matheson-Kaiden Guhle pair for the second year in a row, or the third year in a row, whatever it is with one of them playing on the offside, probably being Kaiden Guhle.

But from a long term perspective, again, all assuming that Reinbacher hits in the way that they’re hoping for him to hit, I think it’s going to have to come down to Guhle or Mike Matheson, because long term, from a financial point of view, I can imagine it’s feasible to keep both of those guys.”

NHLRumors.com Note: As mentioned during an appearance on TSN 690 in Montreal earlier in the month, the Canadiens have options when it comes to Mike Matheson. But the best course of action will be to keep Matheson until they decide and feel their young defensemen are ready to take the next step. Again, it comes down to how Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes view their team. Do they want young defensemen taking on more than they should with the Canadiens in the part of their evolution when this is the season for the playoffs?  This will be a season-long story for Mike Matheson and the Canadiens.

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