BREAKING NEWS: Just In, Montreal Canadiens Set to Lose $39 Million Defenseman to Rivals Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are seeking to complete their reconstruction and become playoff contenders, and one trade proposal supports their cause.
PuckPedia’s new tool, PuckGM, allows users to design their own deals, and one user offered a deal that would see the Red Wings acquire Mike Matheson from the Montreal Canadiens.
Red Wings acquire:
Mike Matheson
Canadiens acquire:
2025 third-round pick
2026 fifth-round selection
The trade proposal is intriguing, as Detroit would strengthen their defense by adding Matheson, who is entering the seventh year of an eight-year $39 million contract. Matheson has spent the last two years with Montreal and is projected to be Detroit’s second-line left defenceman.
Matheson would also provide more veteran presence on the blue line. Last season, Matheson played in 82 games, scoring 11 goals and 51 assists for 62 points.
The Canadiens would release Matheson from his contract and replace him with a younger defenceman. Montreal has first-round picks Logan Mailloux and David Reindbacher competing for a spot on the roster, so trading Matheson allows the organization to get younger while receiving draft picks in exchange.
Canadiens May Send Lane Hutson to AHL
Lane Hutson may play in the AHL this season due to Montreal’s abundance of young defensemen under contract.
On August 27, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes appeared on BPM Sports and intimated that Huston would spend time in the AHL.
“I do not want to hide Lane Hutson. We want Lane Hutson to develop into the best defenseman he can be. If he has to enhance his game and is better suited to the AHL, we’ll send him to Laval,” Hughes remarked in French (translated by DailyHive). “We won’t keep him in the NHL just to turn him into a power play specialist.”
Hutson was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He turned pro after Boston University was eliminated from the Frozen Four, and he appeared in two NHL games, earning no goals and two assists.
Red Wings Have 2 Star Players Unsigned
Detroit has failed to sign RFA forward Lucas Raymond or RFA defenseman Moritz Seider.
Raymond and Seider are two of Detroit’s top players, and Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde says he isn’t concerned that neither has signed yet.
“I’m not worried,” Lalonde told The Detroit Free Press. “It’s all part of it.” I’ve had some previous experience with RFAs. This is all part of the process…
“I’ve talked with them two to three times during the summer and we don’t even talk about the contract,” Lalonde told me. “It’s between Steve and them. We have the same message as the other guys. We want to move forward, we want to keep creating this. Obviously, those two guys are an important part of it.”
Raymond played 82 games last season, scoring 31 goals and 41 assists for a total of 72 points. Meanwhile, Seider played in 82 games, scoring 9 goals and 33 assists for a total of 42 points. Both were past top-10 picks for Detroit.
Although Raymond and Seider are not signed, Lalonde believes the young players will be Detroit’s leaders.
“Those two, what role will they play on our team?” “I believe it will play a slightly larger role in our leadership,” Lalonde added. “That’s something we talked about with those two over the summer.”
The Red Wings will open the 2024-25 NHL season at home on October 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
