NHL Trade Rumor: Canadiens eyeing to 'move' $39,000,000 star D-man following Noah Dobson acquisition, claims insider

The Montreal Canadiens could be looking to move veteran blue liner Mike Matheson this summer following the stunning trade that landed Noah Dobson with the Habs.

During the July 2 edition of the Kevin Karius Show, insider Fran Seravalli discussed the rumblings following the initial wave of NHL free agency. Amid those rumblings, rumors have surfaced regarding Matheson’s availability.

Seravalli stated:

"Mike Matheson could be on the move. He is another guy they are looking at.”

The rationale behind attempting to move Matheson lies in his contract. The 31-year-old is in the final year of an eight-year, $39 million contract signed with the Florida Panthers in 2018. His $4.88 million cap hit could be somewhat onerous, especially with the Habs currently over the salary cap ceiling.

That situation prompted Seravalli to declare:

“He is entering the final year of his deal, and they're saying: We got tons of leverage now. You can either wanna fit in and be part of this group and re-sign - and if it's not at a reasonable number, we're moving you."

That leverage includes Dobson, Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, and Alexandre Carrier. The Montreal Canadiens' depth chart includes Arber Xhekaj and RFA Jayden Struble.

If the Canadiens eventually move on from Matheson, they’ll need to find someone to take his place in the team’s depth chart. 20-year-old defenseman David Reinbacher should get a long look this fall. Reinbacher missed almost all of last season with a knee injury.

There is still room for Matheson with Montreal Canadiens

Matheson could remain in Montreal if the price is right - Source: Imagn

In a July 2 piece in The Hockey News, the topic of Mike Matheson remaining with Montreal jumped to the forefront. In particular, the piece cited comments from Montreal GM Kent Hughes, who discussed his desire to keep Matheson around beyond this season.

However, as the piece pointed out, it all depends on how much Matheson is willing to take to remain in Montreal.

The article cited the example of Joel Armia. Armia left the Canadiens to join the LA Kings via free agency. As Hughes purportedly stated, the Canadiens were unwilling to match the Kings’ offer on Armia.

Armia signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Kings. That was a number the Canadiens felt was too high, so the club let Armia walk.

Matheson could go the same way if he is unwilling to sign a deal in line with Montreal’s budget next season. For the time being, Matheson will be penciled into the Habs’ lineup come this fall. Fans, however, shouldn’t be surprised to see the Habs pull the trigger on a deal, especially if a team suddenly has a hole in their blue line core this upcoming fall.