Canadiens player who must be traded soon
12/19/2024 01:59 AM
The Montreal Canadiens are not playing their best hockey right now. But they also aren’t sitting back on their hands. With only a few veterans on the blueline, such as Mike Matheson, Montreal added veteran depth on Wednesday night. The Canadiens traded for Alexandre Carrier in a deal with the Nashville Predators.
Montreal has a whole host of young players on its roster at this time. And the Canadiens are fine with this given their rebuilding status. Montreal is seventh in the Atlantic Division, however. They wanted to be more competitive this season. The Canadiens even traded for Patrik Laine over the summer to help achieve that aim.
So far, the results have been mixed. Some pundits have ripped the Canadiens for regressing this year. But they have also turned in some very promising performances. It’s hard to get a gauge of whether the regression is real or a mirage.
What we can safely say about the Canadiens is that they are unlikely to push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This team simply is not ready for the grind of postseason hockey. As a result, the Habs are likely to trade a couple of veterans in order to stockpile future assets. There is one veteran player in particular who should be traded sooner rather than later.
Mike Matheson may have reached his peak trade value
Mike Matheson was a bit of a surprising bright spot for the Canadiens in 2023-24. The veteran defenseman was limited to 48 games during his debut season in Montreal. But last season saw him skate a full 82 games while putting up some career-best numbers.
Matheson scored 11 goals and 62 points for Montreal in 2023-24. It marked the first time since 2017-18 that Matheson scored 10 or more goals. And his 62 points broke his previous career high of 34, which he set during his 48 games with the Habs in 2022-23.
Matheson has played well enough in 2024-25. However, it’s clear that his offensive production has come back down to Earth. In fact, he has just two goals in 29 games to this point in the season. Furthermore, seven of his 16 points have come on the power play.
The Canadiens defenseman still provides some offensive value to his team. For instance, he has the highest Goals For Per 60 Minutes at 5v5 among Montreal defenders, according to Evolving Hockey. Matheson also has the second-highest Fenwick For Percentage and Corsi For Percentage at 5v5.
There are certainly teams out there who want some offense from the point. As a result, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Matheson’s name in trade rumors as the NHL Trade Deadline gets closer. But the Canadiens rearguard is under contract through next season. Furthermore, he has an eight-team no trade clause. It’s not the easiest move to make by any means.
The Canadiens could be tempted to wait before pulling the trigger on a Mike Matheson trade. Perhaps they wait until the offseason when the cap goes up and more teams can fit his nearly $5 million cap hit into their books. However, waiting to make this move could prove costly for Montreal.
Matheson is a fine player who certainly brings value to his team. In saying this, he may have already reached his peak trade value. The Canadiens should work to clear any hurdles preventing a deal. And when an offer comes across they find acceptable, they should not hesitate to finalize a trade.
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