The Montreal Canadiens Can Play the Waiting Game with a Mike Matheson Extension
Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff joined TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked about what Mike Matheson could get on his next contract. Di Marco mentions they can be patient with Mike Matheson, and no decisions have to be made right now.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Host: “Well, you mentioned the money side of it. Do you think that they could come to a team-friendly agreement with Mike Matheson to retain him, given that, like you said earlier, he could very easily go out into the marketing and get far more money?”
Anthony Di Marco: “He makes what, like 5.3 right now, I believe in that range. The salary cap is probably going to be, I think, around $110 million in a year’s time. I mean, I can’t imagine that Mike Matheson is going to get less. So maybe you get him around that six to $7 million. Like the first contract that jumps out at me as they like the Travis SanheimAAV is $6.25 million but even at that, even with the salary cap rising, are you going to pay a third pair of defenseman north of $6 million even in a world where the salary cap is $110 million.
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Like I would have to get out my calculator, which has never been my friend, going back to my days in high school, but like, I just, I can’t imagine it would be feasible, especially when you have guys like Struble, like Xhekaj, you could sign a depth veteran left shot defenseman in free agency, or a depth right side defenseman in free agency. So, I mean, I don’t know. I just have to think that, yes, they could get him at a team-friendly deal, but if it’s going to be to play on the third pair, I can imagine how team-friendly it could be. I just think it really comes down to Guhle and Mike Matheson long term here.”
Host: “I think you may not need to fight with the cap going up. You might have a little bit more flexibility. And it’s something interesting, you said, and it’s something when we were discussing yesterday, and we’re going to continue the conversation at 12 o’clock today is wouldn’t Mike Matheson be the perfect partner for someone like David Reibacher trying to jump in, and that decision about extending Matheson doesn’t need to happen today.
It doesn’t even need to happen before training camp starts. You could get into the season if you want, and you can wait on this. It’s fine, you can make that decision. But let’s just say, David Reinbacher shines in training camp. He starts the season. They pair them up. Everybody falls in love with it. You might be like, Yeah, I like this for the next couple of years. And then it changes your decision about extending.”
Di Marco: “Yeah 100% and look, I don’t think you have to make that decision now, because what if the Canadiens are way out of the playoff picture come the trade deadline. Mike Matheson is probably one of the top rental defenseman on the market, and you could probably fetch a first-round pick plus for him, but I think the Canadiens are going to be in the playoff picture this year.
And the way this blue line shaking out is if you have Matheson and Reinbacher on that second pair, and then you have Guhle and Carrier on that third pair, and Lane Hutson and Dobson as your top pair. First off, that has the potential to be one of the best defenses in the Atlantic Division, in my opinion. And second of all, like where what’s the real drop off between maybe Hutson and Dobson will be a cut above the rest, but from the second pair to the third pair.
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Like, to me, that’s like 1A, 1B, second pair in for that team. So I mean left, right on every side, on, on each pair, and then you have Xhekaj and Struble as your seven, eight. Like, I just wouldn’t touch it right now, because for the Canadiens, who are kind of starting to exit their rebuilding come out the other side, you don’t have to rush into these decisions, just worry about the here and now and the here and now presents a really good option for the Canadiens to have one of the most diverse and talented blue lines in their division, and maybe even in the conference.”
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