Analyst Reveals What Canadiens Should Do with Mike Matheson Ahead of Trade Deadline
Although he is not having as strong an offensive season as last year, Michael Matheson remains one of the pillars of the Canadiens' defense.
He is still one of the most utilized players by Martin St-Louis, with an average ice time of almost 25 minutes per game, and his veteran status makes him a true mentor for the young defensemen in the organization.
Matheson will become a free agent at the end of the 2025-2026 season, and many argue that Kent Hughes should trade him during the offseason, given that his market value is currently high.
However, as reported by the site DansLesCoulisses, if it were up to Simon Boisvert, the Canadiens should keep Michael Matheson for the 2025-2026 season.
The excellent Simon Boisvert changes his mind about Mike Matheson
At least that's what he stated during an episode of the Processus podcast alongside journalist Mathias Brunet.
His point was that, currently on the market, Kent Hughes could potentially obtain a late first-round pick or a prospect like Alex Newhook.
But the man nicknamed "the Snake" would prefer to have a veteran of Matheson's caliber, as the Canadiens are likely to be even better next season.
Even though he mentioned that he probably wouldn't re-sign him, the presence of a veteran within a young defensive corps remains essential, especially since it is very likely that another veteran, David Savard, will not return to the Canadiens next season.
Matheson has 22 points in 47 games and is on pace for around 40 points this season, significantly less than his impressive 62 points last season prior to Lane Hutson's arrival.
And what do you think? Should Kent Hughes trade Mike Matheson for a late first-round pick?
Personally, I side with Boisvert and believe we should keep Matheson unless the return is significantly higher than that.
