Should the Montreal Canadiens re-sign Mike Matheson? There’s been a lot of debate about this, but in today’s video, I’m making the case for why keeping Matheson long-term makes sense for the Habs.
We’ll break down:
✅ Why Matheson values term at this stage of his career
✅ How he provides leadership for a young defense core
✅ Why his production and contract offer serious value compared to top NHL defensemen like Hedman, Toews, Dunn, and others
✅ And what this means for Montreal’s future with prospects like Reinbacher, Hutson, and Engström on the way
Don’t write Matheson off—this could be a smart move for the Canadiens.
What do you think? Should the Habs extend Mike Matheson? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
🎶 Music Attribution:
🎧Helynt on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wM3tYsLm3LMfEKIkl5SmY
🎹YT Channel: https: www.youtube.com/@helynt1
🎹YT Track Link (Lofi Video Game Beats III): https://youtu.be/jb210-OXOCM?si=RiECFNl1EE2fnfSK
Collabs:
🎧Dj Cutman: www.youtube.com/@DjCutman
🎧Coffee Date: www.youtube.com/channel/UCu-Y9O26Du2fRxqiVdpAxwg
🎶 Music Attribution:
Samus & Chill
🎧 Link: https://vgm.fm/samuschill
🎹 Produced by Chewie
📲 Follow Me:
Membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN0o9S2Quko4SaGitlK2Txw/join
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Whiskeylung
Facebook: https://facebook.com/Whiskeylung
Twitch: www.twitch.tv/Whiskeylung
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more hockey content! https://www.youtube.com/@whiskeylung?sub_confirmation=1
📅 Related Videos:
Top 5 Heartbreaking Habs Injuries: https://youtu.be/T64VP5DExGc?si=eN0Cix2lnQGM6rMJ
NHL’s Top 5 Most Untradeable Contracts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISXquZqV2AM&t=20s&ab_channel=Whiskeylung-Hockey%2CNews%2CandMore%21
📢 Join the Conversation: What do you think about the topic in today’s video? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
#Hockey #NHL #MontrealCanadiens #Habs #TorontoMapleLeafs #LeafsNation #McDavid #Bedard #Crosby #Ovechkin #HockeyHighlights #Whiskeylung #HockeyNews #TradeRumours
47 Comments
I think I’ve found my pace ✅ Let’s keep making videos like this, right? 🎥 They’re opinion pieces, but they get the conversation going 💬 and get your brain thinking about the possibilities 🤔
👍 Like, 🔔 Subscribe, and drop me a comment ✍ — I love reading your thoughts during the day, they honestly cheer me up 😊
Hope you’re all doing well 🙌 Take care, everyone! ❤
Whiskeylung 🥃
In no world do you spend the type of money you are talking about on a third pair d. There is a cap and you need that money elsewhere. There is no future for Matheson in Mtl in a salary cap era. You also don’t want that type of d on your third pair anyway. Just trade him when he still has value and wish him the best. Use your brain guys you know that I’m right on this one. Trade him and turn the freaking page forever! Next subject.
Stop listening when you compare Matheson to fucking Hedman….. Are you out of your mind?
100% man, Matheson gets way more hate than he deserves from the fans. Management and players see much better than us what he provides
Lol Hedman isn't exactly a good comparison where he's MUCH more defensively sound than Matheson is. Granted Matheson is still a bargain currently. We just only have so much room and dollars for D men and we already have to pay a few a lot of money. I think Matheson is worth more to other teams (and can play higher in the lineup) than he is to us. I don't see him sticking around. For the record though this doesn't mean I don't value Matheson, on the contrary I see his value and want to capitalize on it and maximize it by acquiring pieces to help us where we need it more….
People will realize what they had in Matheson when he’s gone.
if Matheson stops playing 30mins per game he will stop making so much mistakes. hes a great player, but he over utilized
The challenge is not, do we resign Matheson, its more, does he bring more value depending on his extension vs his trading value. The top-4, long term (even short term) should be set with Guhle-Dobson, Hutson-Reinbacher with Hutson on PP1 and Dobson/Reinbacher on PP2 so is he going to accept a 3rd line role with PK1? 1. That role + leadership might equal 3.5-4M ? 2. But if we can get a top-6 F by trading him and making our young guns play on that 3rd line for 850k-1.5M. I think option 2 is better for the team and even Matheson who will seek a top-4 role + PP time elsewhere and getting paid more honestly.
You know what I don't get, is how people are talking about a defenseman who plays harder than a player that has been with the team for 13 years that is a right winger that plays like a defenseman. Mike puts up more points than Brendan Gallagher and yet he is still playing for the team and they still talk about the big players like Mike like their no good… Stats don't lie.
Matheson's impact on the evolution of the team so far has been a positive and important one. His 25 minutes per game contribution, good times bad times, has to be one of many reasons why the Habs made it to the playoffs. This "stay or leave" debate about Matheson is an important one! Thanks Whiskeyman for this other good video!
I agree, I'd be very worried about not having a veteran leader on D. He's also a surprisingly good pk guy.
Matheson plays so many minutes for a reason – the coach trusts him more than any other defenceman on the team. We may not like this or disagree with the decision but it is MSL's opinion.
I think with fewer minutes Matheson's play will improve defensively. Whiskey makes a good point about needing a veteran presence on the blueline.
Matheson on a longer term contract at a value price and no NMC is a valuable asset.
Well bud; we aren't going to agree on everything and this isone of those times. At my age(68) and having seen a lot of the greats play for our Habs we need balance . We have a lot of very talented but smaller players that require a deterrent or they are going to get targeted and hurt. Right nowall we have are Arber and Anderson and to some extent Strubble. Matheson has the speed for breakouts which he is good at but is weak on the boards is easily stripped of the puck and is weak and or confused defensively. As for Arber; for what ever reason Marty has chosen him for his whipping boy to the point he's second guessing himself a lot of the time. And yet Matheson can screw up on a regular basis without so much as missing a shift. Arber has some things to work on of course like they all do but we still need some enforcers or we are going to see a return to the times of having a long injury list. Congrats again on the subscriber milestine. Upward and onward buddy ! GHG
Sometimes I find the 690 crew try to be the PR person for some of these players. Matheson is one of them. Some of them are friends with the Matheson family and simply cannot be objective about anything related to him.
I'm going to say this and people will probably get mad, but there's almost a 0% chance Matheson is re-signed. The whole we need a vet excuse doesn't work, we have Carrier. We already have too many dmen, with plenty more in the pipeline.
The bottom line is there's no space for a guy like Matheson, his tool kit isn't condusive to success given how our team is coming together.
I'm sure Mike is a great guy who comes from a great family. I'm positive he's an amazing teammate. But that doesn't mean that we should keep him when there won't be a place for him.
Since Gorton and Hughes are pragmatic people and take building this team seriously, there's really almost a 0% chance they re-sign him.
They may not trade him though. I think they'll give him 1 year (this season) to do or die, essentially you're a square peg, you have 1 season to fit in that round hole. If he can change his game and adapt, there might be a place for him, but then he'd probably be making a lot less money.
There are rebuilding teams that would pay him a substantial amount, because overall he is a good player and a great teammate. But that being said, his toolkit is no longer a fit in Montreal as they've moved on to phase 2 of their rebuild.
It's nothing personal, I just don't see a scenario where he stays unless he changes up the way he plays significantly, accepts a smaller role, accepts far less money etc.
Any agent worth a dick will advise him to not be emotional and do what's right for his family. I see a team like SJS signing him to a lucrative deal, to do exactly what he did in MTL the last couple years.
Again, this has nothing to do with Mike's character or him as a human being. But this is just the situation as it stands. I'd be shocked if he was re-signed, especially to something long term in MTL.
the habs would be foolish to extend matheson. best to trade him now while we can get value for him.
with the emergence of hutson and the arrival of dobson, matheson's skill set is redundant here. they do what he does and they do it better. furthermore, matheson is a LD and we've already got hutson, guhle, xhekaj, struble, engstrom, and in a couple years, protz. there's no room or future for matheson here. he's been a good soldier and played a very important role here, but he is no longer necessary here. there are other places that could use him. i'd send him with dach and a pick for a legit 2C. maybe a team like utah would move a guy like hayton. matheson would fit there quite well.
We need to keep a hold of Matheson for the next 3 years at a guess. Veterans add stability and on-ice coaching for the younger players. Whilst we have some rather excellent youngsters, we're light on veteran presence throughout the whole squad. We don't want to turn into the Sabres.
😊❤😊
I've rewatched the whole montreal canadian season …..this summer, ….i have it on a public playlist… If anybody's interested……. mike matheson, played one of the worst defensive games i've ever seen in my life on december first 2024 versus boston, go back and watch it😅😅😅😅😅 Montreal has too many defenseman trying to act cute by carrying the puck out of the zone, ……instead of playing it off the glass, and making the safe play …… He is our best trade chip for a second line center.
So humble to give credit to others. Rare these days.
Habs Digest with Josh and Jesse, Hockie Junkie is so intelligently hilarious, The Sick Podcast and you yourself are all daily watches.
No doubt. I see a post. I watch and submit a like instantly.
Keep up the great work. Always love when you all give each other credit and respect one another.
It shows the community aspect of being a Habs fan….and I appreciate it!!!!
Keep it up!!!!
GHG
Thats why
I like Matheson
Losing pucks happened to Struble and Xhekaj all the ffffing time. You don't see people screaming at their TV that they should be dumped on the side of the road.
And they play 8 minutes a game… not 30+ against the opponent's best lines.
Matheson is a pillar on the Canadien's defense, that's a fact and I don't care what anyone else says about it.
I've cursed out Matheson after some dumb turnovers but I would love him to stay. He was a top pairing guy on a rebuilding Montreal team, he handles the pressure of the market and system well. The only negative is that the Canadiens have already have two other 2way D men that are significantly younger and more talented. I would have no issue with Matheson on a 5.5 hit.
Congrats on the 15k subs.
Matheson is just playing too much, having Dobson takes 5 minutes per game which will help him a lot.
If they can sign him for 2 years that would be awesome.
I think Matheson's impact on the team has been a huge net positive. And I think we should sign him if we can get him for 5-5.5M for no more than 4 years. BUT… I also think as soon as Reinbacher is ready to play 82 games in the NHL, his time on the team is over. Barring major injuries the team looks like Dobson, Hutson, Guhle, Carrier/Matheson, Reinbacher/Xhekaj/Struble/Engstrom (the logjam is real). Would he be happy in the 5/6 spot? idk, but I do know 5-5.5M is too much for a 5/6 guy. I don't like it at all, but one of Matheson/Carrier are probably going to have to get moved at some point. Which really sucks because they're solid local guys with experience and that's definitely something you need.
A team needs a seasoned vet to keep the younger heads in the game. Mathieson has that seasoning
He's not worth a huge raise, he's better used as trade bait, part of a package, for what we really need.
Using Hedman as an example is insane
Agree with your assessment Whiskey. Less ice time and the right partner would help him. Too many young D still in development to give Mike up yet.
I like Shawn Starr and Marco demico but my god they have the worst clickbait titles. Some of the worst on all of YouTube.
Alright, you've swayed me. Matheson should stay.
Im happy to keep Matheson, he's a gem.
I agree 100% with this video.
Every team has players that are more polarizing for some fans.
Some just see the bad, some see the balance and some see only the good. Personally, I like Matheson as a human being, all the players say he’s a great teammate and a “gars de chez nous”. That we need to treat with respect if we want other players from here to want to play for MTL.
The fans that hate on him and can’t see the value he brings, are more often than not very pessimistic fans that think they know more than NHL GM’s and coaches. There is a reason Mike Matheson has that much ice time. The coach would not play him that much if he didn’t think he could help them win.
And contextually, Matheson also plays that much only if there are not any other players that are actually better than him. As a weird comparison, there was a time in MTL that philip Danault was the #1 centre. Would he have been a #1 centre on other teams, maybe not. But at the time he was MTL’s best chance for success because the offence was very thin. 2 seasons ago, Matheson had a career year much like Danault had when playing a first line role in MTL.
If you look at who was on defense 2 years ago, Matheson was far and away the best D on the team. Now that Hutson and Dobson are here, MTL can place Matheson on a role fitting for him and his usefulness is still very much there. Same as if MTL had managed to sign Danault at a resonable price instead of loosing him to LA, and placed him on the 2nd or 3rd line. Danault would have been at least as good or better than Dvorak has been.
Good teams have depth, and right now, if Matheson leaves, the oldest D would be Carrier. The kids need to be surrounded by some vets. Like Toffoli was there for Caufield and Danault for Suzuki. And recently, like Savard was for most of the kids.
Love your work. I differ in opinion despite how much I respect Matheson very much as a player.
With the addition of Dobson and the emergence of Hutson, Matheson's minutes will greatly diminish. And that's not worth 5 to 6 million, in my opinion.
Sorry but no…
I’m on team Matheson out nothing against him the person but…
I’m seeing some bad habits in Matheson’s game — especially under pressure.
⸻
🔥 The Real Argument Against Keeping Mike Matheson my version
🧠 1. He’s not built for heavy lifting
• Sure, could put up points, but he is not physically imposing.
• When it comes to puck management under pressure, he gets shaky. He needs a Chris Tanev like partner to let him be a solid transition player
• His Hot potato style plays instead of holding, absorbing pressure, and making the right plays, concerns me
It can lead to :
• Icings
• Turnovers
• Passes into skates
• Panic-mode
📉 The result? He’s not helping possession — he’s killing it under pressure. At both ends of the ice.
He can not be the Defensive partner in a D pairing, he needs to be paired with one
⸻
🛑 2. Avoids Physical Contact
• He consistently defers contact to his D-partners. That’s not a small issue —
it’s why:
• Carrier was wrecked by the end of the playoffs.
• Hutson took more hits than he should’ve, when they were paired together and 48’s production dropped
• Guhle was being worked too when they were a pairing.
When your “veteran” avoids contact, the younger D pay the price. That’s not leadership — it’s self preservation. That doesn’t scream team first mentality.
⸻
💵 3. He’ll Want a Raise — or to maintain a key Role
• Contract ends in 2026, he’ll be just over 1 year removed from 60 points, but may have already peaked
• Do you want to give a guy like that a raise into his 30s?
• And if the coaching staff dials back his minutes or role to let Hutson/Reinbacher shine?
• You’re probably looking at a player who won’t take that lightly.
You’ll either overpay to keep him happy — or have an unhappy veteran eating space.
⸻
🧩 Bottom Line:
Mike Matheson might look like a leaders and top-pair guy, but the way he avoids contact, the chaos he creates under pressure, and the cost he could demand, make him a short-term asset — not a long-term piece.
⸻
🔁 my Ideal Move?
Flip him while the stats hide the flaws. Get a pick, get a prospect, if he gets them a 2C all the better and stop letting the young defensemen get hit because Matheson doesn’t want to be.
If Matheson was from London Ontario instead of West Island Montreal
There would be no discussion
Trade an asset in the last year of contract on the wrong side of 30
That’s it that’s the video.
Building a Contender here not handing out French speaking participation ribbons.
Remember when Mike Matheson had 62 points and was the Habs best D? We couldn't wait for him to get some help. Now he's behind Hutson and Dobson You can make an argument that even though Guhle isn't as offensively talented, his up there as a top 4 D. Why would you get rid of Matheson now? He knows his place. He's eaten crap for years losing games with not much help on the backend. Throw him a bone. Reward him for what he's done by signing him a few more years and actually have help win games. I'm signing Matheson any day of the week.
5.5 million would be fine.
However, the way I see it is that after this season Reinbacher takes his spot. I'd rather have Carrier long term but that doesn't mean I don't like Mike Matheson.
Matheson helped the Habs get through those tough, down season. Scoring 51 points a few seasons ago was pretty good on a Habs team with no identity at the time. Solid player and a great mentor with the young players. He slips up sometimes, just like ever other player in the league. He deserves a contract in my opinion
Hughes and Gorton need to at least consider keeping matheson for a shorter term contract like 2-3 years top, great guy, loves playing in MTL, plays a lot of minutes and he'll play even more PK minutes now that uncle Savy is gone, which he was good at last season.
The only thing about the log jam argument is that people assume Reinbacher is already NHL ready which might be true, but the guy has not played a full season at the professionnal level yet because of injuries, and that's a big question mark to his resume. I really liked what I saw from him in Laval, live and on Tv, last year but Pascal Vincent put him in situations where he could show his skills since Mailloux could take big minutes as well, now, he'll probably be on the top pair with Engstrom if neither make the big club this year.
I feel like Engstrom could force some decisions to be made on whether Matheson or any other lefty Dman stays or get traded
I really like Mike Matheson as an individual and I agree with you, his gameplay isn't slowing down and should get a contract north of 6 millions. But the logjam is real. We already have 2 d-man that can fill the offensive role arguably better then him in Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson. While Matheson isn't bad defensively, once again arguably, he is not physical at all. How many time have I yelled at my screen: "HIT HIM! … "Forget the puck, take the player out." In the physical aspect, both Struble and Xhekaj are better the Matheson. We will need to be more physical in the playoffs to come should we start getting there more often. Let Struble and Xhekaj learn from there mistake for the next 2 season with time on the ice. Let Montreal become a harder team to play against.
Matheson has a great trade value right now and if we want a 2nd line centre, hi is one of the best asset we have that we have and could make due without. This is simply the business aspect of the NHL. It's time to let Matheson prosper with another team.
Oh boy.
I think Matheson will do better when playing less minutes… he was overused last season and it showed.
Yeah, but they don't have old-school gamer music man! Lol
As long as Matheson is willing to take a page out of Tavares' book, I think we should absolutely consider keeping him on. Maybe $4 x 4. Sounds crazy, but if Tavares is willing to sign for $4.3, $4 shouldn't be out of the realm of reason.
Matheson has slowed down. Too many minutes? Don’t care. He is not a 1-4 D man. He might be 5-6 at 2 million. He has so many turn overs that costs the Habs. You can look at all the stats you want but who are you yelling at when they play. Trade him and we get better
Mike Matheson tries hard, but he's not good or whatever.
matheson just been underestimate by how he is placed aside with hudson and dobson …i see a little terms next contract