The Habs Re-Sign Mike Matheson For 5 Years
On Friday morning, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they have re-signed defenseman Mike Matheson for the next 5 years for $30 million ($6M AAV). Matheson has been off to a great start this season, where he is leading the Habs in ice time for the 4th straight season with 24:50 a night, which is 2 minutes more than the next closest player on the team.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension (2026-27 to 2030-31) with defenseman Mike Matheson
News release ↓ #GoHabsGo https://t.co/j4zZ1bGjFU
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 28, 2025
Despite no longer getting power play time, thanks to the arrival of Noah Dobson this summer and the emergence of Lane Hutson over the past 2 seasons, Matheson has remained a very key part of the defensive group. There just isn’t a spot for a 3rd defenseman to get power play minutes, but if ever they need him to fill in, Matheson can easily slot in with no problem. Matheson has continuously taken on different roles without any complaints since being traded to his hometown team in the summer of 2022.
Mike Matheson, extended 5x$6M by MTL, is a smooth-skating veteran defenceman who logs a lot of difficult minutes and is very involved on the ice. His on-ice numbers don’t necessary align with the amount of Stuff he does, especially in his own zone where he’s very active defender. pic.twitter.com/BoqfwKD1Y7
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 28, 2025
Matheson is now used as someone who plays almost the entire 2 minutes of a penalty kill, serving as the anchor of the 4-man units on defense. Essentially this is why he’s still getting the most minutes out of anyone on the Habs, despite getting next to no power play. Matheson also still brings a good amount of offense so far this season, as he has scored 4 goals and 14 points in 22 games heading into today’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s very rare that a team can have a 40-point-plus defenseman without any power play time, and the Canadiens have one in Matheson.
Great work by Mike Matheson in the OZ, spins and tees up Noah Dobson who makes it 2-0 #Habs pic.twitter.com/Reo7F8fU9a
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 23, 2025
Not only that, but he has a +13 plus-minus rating, which is by far the best by any defenseman on the team. The next best defenseman is his partner, Noah Dobson, who has a +2, which is out for many empty net goals against, which makes a huge difference. But this still shows the impact that Matheson has at even strength.
The 5-year contract for $6 million a year is definitely a slight discount when you look at the AAV, but the fact that the Habs went 5 years instead of 2 or 3 is probably what helped Kent Hughes keep Matheson’s salary under $7 million. In reality, Matheson is the team’s most complete defenseman, as he has durability, offensive skills, physicality, and overall good defensive tendencies in his skillset. The deal also includes a complete no-movement clause for the first 3 years of his contract, before it transforms into a 14-team no-trade clause for the 4th and 5th years of the deal.
In the past Matheson has had his struggles from being the premier puck handler on his defensive pairing at times, but when he’s playing with Dobson, he doesn’t need to worry as much about that. This means he can continue to focus more on the defensive side of the game as the season goes on and he starts to tire out a little bit.
This season Matheson has shown that he can think more defensively, which is why this deal could end up working well. However, at the same time, we must look at the fact his skating is his main asset, and it’s very possible as he enters his mid-30s, the skating will slow down quite a bit. With that being said, there is some risk with this contract, but as it stands now, this is looking like a good deal for the Habs’ most complete defenseman.
What are your thoughts on Mike Matheson’s new extension?
