Mathieu Olivier is a hard-hitting, fist-throwing reason the Columbus Blue Jackets are surprise playoff contenders, and now he's set to be a part of their efforts to remain at that level or better for the foreseeable future.
Olivier signed a six-year, $18 million extension Wednesday, a deal that keeps the valuable forward and respected tough guy under contract through the 2030-31 NHL season at a bargain salary cap hit of $3 million annually.
“Mathieu's taken a big step, not only on the ice in his performance but in the locker room: He’s been one of our key guys who’s led us through this charge here,” general manager Don Waddell said on a video call with reporters. "I got a lot of calls on him, so I knew if this went to free agency, he would be in demand. Everybody’s looking for these types of players for the most part, so we just felt that we’re comfortable with the term and the (salary), and we’re very happy to have him for six years.”
Waddell has credited Olivier, along with defenseman Zach Werenski and forward Sean Monahan, for helping the Blue Jackets weather captain Boone Jenner's long-term injury absence and keeping them in the mix for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference in coach Dean Evason's first season in charge.
They have won four of five, including outdoors in an emotional Ohio State Stadium Series game full of tributes to the late Johnny Gaudreau, since Jenner returned from shoulder surgery. Before that, Olivier said he, Werenski and Monahan filled the void by committee.
“It was just about doing my part in the grand scheme of things and kind of filling my role and my chair that I have with the team,” Olivier said. "He came back and really just added to everything that we built. It was a tough loss, but I think our group handled it really well, and having him back has been amazing.”
Olivier, who turned 28 on Feb. 11, has a career-high 12 goals to go along with nine assists in 61 games, averaging nearly 15 minutes of ice time.
“The big thing for me is the way that I’m getting those goals this year is by playing the way that I play every night,” Olivier said.
“They’re not always pretty, but the end game is to get the job done and to contribute, and that’s going to be my focus and the way that I look at things from now on. Obviously I want to contribute night in, night out, but I think keeping my identity and bringing what I bring consistently is the value that I can bring to this team.”
Part of that identity is standing up for teammates. Olivier leads the league with 11 fights, and that number is probably low because of how intimidating a presence the 6-foot-1, 226-pound enforcer has become.
“I know one thing: We don’t get pushed around at all,” Waddell said. “We have a few smaller guys, and we’re not overly physical. Guys play hard, but Mathieu certainly has stepped up when the time is needed.”
Waddell also pointed out that Olivier is second in the NHL with 232 hits, many of which have changed the trajectory of plays because opponents make mistakes while trying to avoid getting crunched into the glass.
“They don’t want that puck,” Waddell said. “They’re getting rid of it quickly because they know they’re going to get hit hard. It’s interesting to watch because I’ve seen defensemen throughout the year that’ll bail from a play because he knows he’s going to get hit hard in the boards and legally, too.”
Olivier has skated in 233 regular-season and playoff games with the Nashville Predators and Columbus since making his NHL debut in 2019. He is the only player born in Mississippi to make it to the NHL. Olivier was born in Biloxi while dad Simon was playing in the ECHL, and the family moved to Europe and other places, with Mathieu playing much of his advanced youth and junior hockey in Canada’s province of Quebec.
Rather than become an unrestricted free agent July 1, Olivier wanted to re-sign for at least four more years, and Waddell said it became six to spread the money out.
“It’s security,” Olivier said. “I have a family. We don’t have careers that go into our 50s and 60s, so we have to make the most out of the time we have playing hockey.”
Columbus has several other pending UFAs, including defensemen Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov and forwards Sean Kuraly and Justin Danforth. Waddell does not expect to get any of them under contract before the trade deadline Friday and is happy to let the rest of the season play out — ideally well into the spring if his team can get into the playoffs.
“This group has been remarkable all season how, regardless of the adversity that’s been thrown at us, they’ve stuck together, which I’m very proud of,” Waddell said. "Instead of getting into negotiations sometimes where there’s not a good ending, I think it might be better — and as I’ve told agents this — let’s just wait till the end of the season. And if players want to stay here and we can find a compromise between salary and term, we will keep them.”
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
