Canadiens Management Missed Out on a Massive Return for Matheson by Waiting Too Long, Analyst Says

"My philosophy is that rebuilds take time. With that philosophy, I believe we should have traded him. Any player with significant value who will not be part of the team when the rebuild is complete should be traded. Every single one of them.

That means you'll face frustrating years with your young players, but it's part of the process. You'll draft 3rd instead of 9th, and you'll add a better prospect to your pool."

- Brian Wilde

It's true that Matheson won't be around when the Canadiens reach their peak. That said, rebuilding with only young players can be dangerous. They won't have guidance during difficult moments and could develop bad habits.

The contribution of a veteran like Matheson to the lineup is invaluable, in my opinion.

At the start of this season, with his 10 points in 16 games, Matheson is on pace for a 51-point campaign if he maintains this rhythm. While that's less than his 2023-2024 season (62 points), it's very respectable.

He still skates very well, and his role in the locker room is immense.

It would be worth assessing whether the defenseman's value is truly lower than it was at the last trade deadline.

In my opinion, several GMs would pay a high price to have him in their lineup during a playoff race.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but offloading veterans just because we're in a rebuild isn't the way to go. It will happen gradually as contracts expire.

The next to leave will likely be David Savard, along with Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia.

If I were Kent Hughes, I would wait until next year before trading Matheson.

I'm not even sure I would trade him at all and might even consider keeping him for a few more years.

But that's just my perspective!