Montreal Canadiens defenseman expected to sign expensive five-year extension today

The Montreal Canadiens are building one of the most intriguing cores in the National Hockey League, and with so much young, exciting talent, the future and the present looks incredibly bright for this team.

Around them, they've got some solid veterans that provide stability and balance to this lineup as well, and now, they're set to reward one of those veterans with a massive five-year contract extension.

According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, the Montreal Canadiens have agreed on a five-year deal with talented blue liner Mike Matheson, with an official announcement from the organization set to come as soon as Friday.

The 31-year old is currently in his fourth season with the Canadiens, tallying a career high of 62 points back in 2023/24, and with 4 goals and 14 points in 22 games this season, he continues to show his worth to this organization.

A five-year deal comes with plenty of risk for a player that's quickly approaching 32-years of age, but given how productive he's been as a leader and a player in Montreal, it's the obvious move to make for this team as they look to take the next step in 2025/26.

As of right now, we can't judge the deal until we know the official terms, but Matheson is a key piece of this organization, and while all the focus is on the young core, keeping around a key veteran like this will help this team for years to come.

Matheson has officially come to terms on a five-year deal in Montreal, worth $30 million ($6 million annual average value).

Based on his role, playing over 25 minutes nightly, he appears to have left a significant sum of money on the table to stay with the Canadiens.