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Obtained in the trade that sent Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling to Pittsburgh, Mike Matheson has met all expectations and then some in his first season with the Sainte-Flanelle. Limited to 48 games thanks to both lower and upper body injuries, the 29-year-old defenseman still set career highs in both assists (26) and points (34). Better yet, the Pointe-Claire native really seemed to enjoy his homecoming and wants to be in Montreal, given how badly Petry wanted out of town, that was a major boost for morale in the locker-room.

Both his time on ice and production improved steadily throughout the season and in the fourth quarter of the year, he was spending an average of over 25 minutes per game on the ice. I fully expect Matheson to keep growing in the more important role he’s been given in Montreal. Considering how young the blue line is, his leadership and experience will be invaluable to the team. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the last veteran defenseman left on the team by the time the trade deadline passes.

Considering the central role, he plays for the team, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he found himself wearing the alternate captain’s A left vacant by Joel Edmundson’s trade on his jersey. After all, a bit of stability in the leadership group is a good thing and I really don’t see Matheson going anywhere soon.

We all need to see full season from Mike Matheson in Montreal. He's been one of the most underrated players in the NHL in last two years in our eyes. He's a legit TOP-pairing defenseman for us. One of the best contracts in the league as well. pic.twitter.com/H3LroiNzXx

— Andy & Rono (@ARHockeyStats) July 25, 2023

With four seasons left on his contract including the current one, Matheson is the ideal big brother for all those young defensemen trying to find their footing on the Canadiens’ blue line. Hopefully, he can manage to stay healthy since he has struggled to do so in three of the last four seasons. If that is the case, I see him as a safe bet to reach the 50-point mark. His mobility and offensive instinct made him one of the favorites of the coaching staff and there’s no doubt he’ll see as much action as he can handle.

Absurd pass by Nick Suzuki, and Mike Matheson gets his homecoming goal to put the #Habs up 3-2. pic.twitter.com/mYsPWxMswx

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 20, 2022

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