Though Mathieu Olivier was thought of a commerce candidate coming into the 2024-25 season, within the midst of considered one of his finest NHL campaigns, he is formally off the market.
The Columbus Blue Jackets signed the bruising ahead to a six-year, $18 million contract extension ($3 million AAV) on Wednesday, common supervisor Don Waddell introduced.
“Mathieu Olivier has emerged as a key contributor on and off the ice because of his work ethic, dedication, management and different intangibles which might be vital to a group’s success,” Waddell mentioned, per the official launch. “Guaranteeing that Mathieu stays a Blue Jacket was a precedence for us and we’re ecstatic that he and his household will probably be a part of our Blue Jackets household for a few years.”
Olivier has been a wrecking ball in Ohio this season, managing 232 hits in simply 61 video games. That is good for second league-wide, behind solely Vancouver Canucks ahead Kiefer Sherwood.
The 28-year-old has additionally managed career-highs offensively, chipping in 12 objectives and 21 factors whereas primarily enjoying in a bottom-six function. Over 229 profession NHL video games break up between the Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators, Olivier has recorded 25 objectives, 55 factors, 352 penalty minutes, 675 hits, 184 blocked photographs and 246 photographs on purpose, per the discharge.
Columbus acquired Olivier from the Predators previous to the 2022-23 season for a fourth-round choose. He signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with the Jackets the next summer season.
The 6-foot-1 ahead has averaged 14:26 of ice time in 2024-25 whereas enjoying in each considered one of Columbus’ video games, and he is change into a key piece of the ahead core this yr. Now locked up long-term, the Biloxi, Mississippi native will look to assist the Jackets return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the primary time since 2019-20.
Blue Jackets proper within the thick of Japanese Convention playoff race
Associated Columbus Blue Jackets InformationArticle continues beneath
The Blue Jackets have hung across the playoff image for mainly your complete marketing campaign, and so they’re surging on the excellent time. Regardless of a disappointing 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday evening, Columbus is 30-23-8 and at present occupies the highest wildcard berth within the Japanese Convention.
The Jackets had gained 4 in a row earlier than Tuesday’s defeat, and are wanting well-positioned to stay in a postseason slot over their final 21 video games.
With the New Jersey Devils struggling as of late, Columbus is now simply 4 factors away of leapfrogging them and taking on third place within the Metropolitan Division — and so they have two video games in hand.
The squad can also be getting wholesome on the excellent time; captain Boone Jenner and high ahead scorer Kirill Marchenko are again within the lineup, and Yegor Chinakhov additionally made his return after a prolonged absence on Tuesday evening.
Together with the continued Norris Trophy-caliber play from Zach Werenski — he scored each of his group’s objectives on Tuesday evening — the Jackets seem like they’ve an excellent likelihood to nonetheless be in a playoff spot come mid-April.
With 21 tilts left, each single one goes to be essential for one of many NHL’s finest surprises. And that begins with one other large sport in opposition to the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Dawn on Thursday evening.