Player Discussion: Mathieu Olivier

S1N4TR4

CBJ CBJ CBJ
Nov 15, 2013
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Anybody remember the Behind the Battle where they talked about Olivier and his son? They were part of building a sensory room or something at the arena. I dont remember which one it was, but Olivier also seemed to love it here then too. Granted, like others have said, he's not going to say anything openly bad.

I would give him a longer than you'd think contract. Dont know about AAV but I would offer 4ish. He obviously wont keep scoring like he is now, but he's always going to be a useful player in some role. Plus he's obviously a great leader. I dont think I've ever seen one Jacket fire up the team quite like he did against Calgary.

I personally would say the odds of his next contract being 4mil a year or more is currently +300. I would be shocked if he was signed to 4mil or more. if he is though, i’ll eat crow.
 

alphafox

Registered User
Jun 14, 2011
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Feels like he lands he lands south of 4 with as many years as it takes to make that happen. Maybe something like 3.75 for 5? He's basically a Gudbranson upgrade, Just swap that money out structure it so you can buy Gudbranson out more easily and move on.
 

VT

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Jan 24, 2021
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Supposedly any team was offering a 1st round draft pick for Arber Xhekaj. What do you think, what is the price for Mathieu Olivier?
 

cbjthrowaway

Registered User
Jul 4, 2020
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Supposedly any team was offering a 1st round draft pick for Arber Xhekaj. What do you think, what is the price for Mathieu Olivier?
at this point i think they absolutely could get a first rounder for him as a rental if they wanted to move him. he's big and fast and tough and has good hockey sense on top of that. a playoff team that wants to add grit and toughness would absolutely pony up a pick in the 25-30 range to get a guy like olivier imo.

that said, there's obviously mutual interest in getting a contract done. he's a fan favorite for a reason. plenty of folks have waxed poetic about his intangibles in the room and whatnot, but beyond those i'm fine with an extension because, among other reasons:
  1. it's not my money
  2. the NHL is an entertainment product and he is an extremely entertaining player
 

Doggy

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
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From Curtis Deem on Union and Blue:

The Vegas Golden Knights just extended a bottom-six winger to a three-year, $2.5m AAV deal. Brett Howden isn't quite the pugilist that Olivier is. But he is a bigger bodied checking line winger, who is having a career year offensively.

Knowing that we usually have to overpay for players in Columbus - and coupling that with the fact that Vegas is a tax free state - I think common ground here would be somewhere in the 3-4 year range, with an AAV of $3 million per year.
 

majormajor

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
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I'm asking for his price, and not claim his worth a first round. 😼

A late first round pick isn't worth that much. In a weaker draft, which this is widely projected to be, you'd be happy if your 30th OA ended up developing into an Olivier caliber player.

From Curtis Deem on Union and Blue:

The Vegas Golden Knights just extended a bottom-six winger to a three-year, $2.5m AAV deal. Brett Howden isn't quite the pugilist that Olivier is. But he is a bigger bodied checking line winger, who is having a career year offensively.

Knowing that we usually have to overpay for players in Columbus - and coupling that with the fact that Vegas is a tax free state - I think common ground here would be somewhere in the 3-4 year range, with an AAV of $3 million per year.

After the author considers all of those various factors, I think he should also consider that Olivier is the reigning NHL heavyweight champ. That plays a bigger role in his value.
 

Viqsi

"that chick from Ohio"
Oct 5, 2007
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After the author considers all of those various factors, I think he should also consider that Olivier is the reigning NHL heavyweight champ. That plays a bigger role in his value.
Just occurred to me... did I perchance neglect to mention that back in Nashville his nickname was "the Biloxi Bull"? We may need to bring that back if we're selling him as the reigning heavyweight champ. ;)
 
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thebus88

19/20 Columbus Blue Jackets: "It Is What It Is"
Sep 27, 2017
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Feels like he lands he lands south of 4 with as many years as it takes to make that happen. Maybe something like 3.75 for 5? He's basically a Gudbranson upgrade, Just swap that money out structure it so you can buy Gudbranson out more easily and move on.
Gudbranson has a role on this team, with or without Olivier.
 
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CannonFire1

Registered User
Jun 22, 2023
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From Curtis Deem on Union and Blue:

The Vegas Golden Knights just extended a bottom-six winger to a three-year, $2.5m AAV deal. Brett Howden isn't quite the pugilist that Olivier is. But he is a bigger bodied checking line winger, who is having a career year offensively.

Knowing that we usually have to overpay for players in Columbus - and coupling that with the fact that Vegas is a tax free state - I think common ground here would be somewhere in the 3-4 year range, with an AAV of $3 million per year.
I was thinking 2.75x4 for Olivier, but won't be mad at 3x4. Even accouting for a rising cap, I don't think he should be paid as much as Boone Jenner.
 

Viqsi

"that chick from Ohio"
Oct 5, 2007
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I was thinking 2.75x4 for Olivier, but won't be mad at 3x4. Even accouting for a rising cap, I don't think he should be paid as much as Boone Jenner.
Boone Jenner is on arguably the single most team-friendly non-ELC/non-second-contract deals in the League. He's the last person whose contract should be used as a barometer for anything at all.
 

CannonFire1

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Jun 22, 2023
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Boone Jenner is on arguably the single most team-friendly non-ELC/non-second-contract deals in the League. He's the last person whose contract should be used as a barometer for anything at all.
He's also the captain and a consistent 20 goal scorer (with a high of 30 goals). Olivier has scored 20 in his entire career. I understand Jenner's on an extremely team friendly deal that was signed 3 years ago. I still don't think Columbus should pay Olivier more than Jenner (3.75).

I also don't think Olivier belongs in the same range as Marchenko (3.85) or that he should be getting 2x Kent Johnson (1.8). Olivier is at 1.1 now, so 2.5, 2.75, or 3 would be a heck of a raise. I love what he brings and I hope they keep him but the contract has to make sense. At the end of the day he's still a 3rd or 4th line guy.
 

majormajor

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
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He's also the captain and a consistent 20 goal scorer (with a high of 30 goals). Olivier has scored 20 in his entire career. I understand Jenner's on an extremely team friendly deal that was signed 3 years ago. I still don't think Columbus should pay Olivier more than Jenner (3.75).

I also don't think Olivier belongs in the same range as Marchenko (3.85) or that he should be getting 2x Kent Johnson (1.8). Olivier is at 1.1 now, so 2.5, 2.75, or 3 would be a heck of a raise. I love what he brings and I hope they keep him but the contract has to make sense. At the end of the day he's still a 3rd or 4th line guy.

We keep having these conversations about Olivier's value where we leave out his stature as a fighter. It's the big part of his value!
 

CannonFire1

Registered User
Jun 22, 2023
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We keep having these conversations about Olivier's value where we leave out his stature as a fighter. It's the big part of his value!
At 2.75 - which would be a 150% raise - I think that is factored into the price. Other top fighters don't make anywhere close to that. Reaves is at 1.35M, Xhekaj at 1.3, Deslauriers at 1.75. On a 4 year deal, that is $11M. Do you think Olivier would turn that down?

I said earlier I would also be ok with $3M x 4 years but that's where the price starts to make me uncomfortable. Anything higher than that seems too high to me. But if there are more appropriate comps that support 3.5 or 4 I'd love to know what they are.
 

majormajor

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Jun 23, 2018
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At 2.75 - which would be a 150% raise - I think that is factored into the price. Other top fighters don't make anywhere close to that. Reaves is at 1.35M, Xhekaj at 1.3, Deslauriers at 1.75. On a 4 year deal, that is $11M. Do you think Olivier would turn that down?

I said earlier I would also be ok with $3M x 4 years but that's where the price starts to make me uncomfortable. Anything higher than that seems too high to me. But if there are more appropriate comps that support 3.5 or 4 I'd love to know what they are.

I think a 4 year $2.75m offer is a reasonable offer for us to make, and Olivier might accept it. But I think he would get more in free agency with the big jump in the salary cap and his status as a fighter.

The two imperfect parts of those comps is that Olivier is more capable of playing a regular shift than those fighters, and he is also beating those guys up. There isn't an appropriate comp, and that's why he's going to get paid, there's only one Mathieu Olivier.
 

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