The Montreal Canadiens are entering the 2025-26 season with a strong blueline. They notably added star defenseman Noah Dobson in a blockbuster trade with the New York Islanders this summer. They also, of course, have reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner Lane Hutson, who should only continue to get better. 

Yet, there is another Canadiens defenseman who fans should not ignore in 2025-26: Mike Matheson. 

Matheson, 31, is coming off a bit of a down year with the Canadiens. In 80 games with the Habs in 2024-25, he posted six goals, 31 points, and a minus-6 rating. Yet, when looking at his recent past success, there is no question that he is a prime bounce-back candidate to watch this upcoming campaign.

Just back during the 2023-24 season with the Canadiens, Matheson demonstrated that he can provide strong offense from the point. In 82 games that campaign, he scored 11 goals and set career highs with 51 assists and 62 points. Furthermore, in 2022-23, he scored eight goals and recorded 34 points in just 48 games. With numbers like these, it would not be particularly surprising if we see Matheson get his offensive totals back up a bit more in 2025-26. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what kind of year Matheson puts together for the Canadiens in 2025-26. If he regains his top form, it would be huge for a Canadiens club looking to take another big step in the right direction. 

Canadiens: Carey Price Has Message After Trade After weeks of rumors, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens">Montreal Canadiens</a> officially traded Carey Price's contract with a 2026 fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Gannon Laroque on Sep. 5.