Because then you would have no reason to complain LOL
Confirmed with Link: Olivier signs 6 year, 3M AAV extension
- Thread starter CBJWerenski8
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A little long on term, but less than I expected for cap hit. Glad we could keep him. We need him with Tom Wilson in the division.
Misfire Puck
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I get why they felt they needed to re-sign him. He's a useful player and in a world where the cap gets to $100m+, it's probably a non-issue. I just, in a vacuum, don't like giving this much term to a guy who should be on your 4th line if you're going to be a Cup contender. And to boot, he's in the midst of a career-year at 28 years old. The 10-team NTC should have knocked the AAV down a smidge as well.
Like many here have said, I would have much preferred a 4 x $3-4m type of contract, but he will easily be buried or bought out if it comes to that around 2029/2030.
I do think we tend to overvalue our own guys. It's sports/human nature. This is another "he's more valuable to us than any other team" type of thing, which...if you do that frequently is not a great way to allocate your cap hits.
Misfire Puck
Registered User
From the comment section of The Hockey Guy's video about the signing (credit to the YT user Foueztky):
I wish more people knew Mathieu Olivier for who he really is, so much more than just an enforcer...
I had the privilege of working for the Sherbrooke Phoenix for a few years, notably during Matt's final QMJHL season in 2017-18. I was producing game-day content for the website such as game recaps and running the team's social medias during games, writing player profiles, conducting interviews, etc so I was fortunate to get to know a lot of the players on the team through the years. In my 7 years around the league, Mathieu stands out as one of the most genuine and endearing people I’ve met. He always spoke from the heart, took responsibility when things didn’t go well, and when they did, it was never about him: it was always about the team. That kind of speech and response in interviews is common in hockey, but with him, you could easily tell he was being honest and not just throwing out pre-made answers.
After post-game interviews, he’d sometimes stick around just to chat with the team and arena staff, and the writers/reporters covering the team, before heading out. But what stood out to me even more was how he treated the fans. No matter the game’s outcome, if there were fans waiting outside the locker room for photos or autographs, Matt always stopped for them. He didn’t just sign in a rush and move on, he took the time to talk to them for a quick moment, smiling the whole time. Over the years, I saw plenty of players walk past fans without a glance, some others offering a quick signature but little else, not even bothering to look at them in the eyes... But Matt was one of the rare few who made the complete effort every single time, and it never felt forced.
When he arrived in Sherbrooke after being traded by Shawinigan in the offseason, he quickly became a leader despite being new to the team. He was named an assistant captain, not only because he was a 20 year old veteran, but also because he naturally brought people together. He looked out for his teammates, mentored younger players without being asked, and kept things light in the locker room while stepping up when it mattered. He treated everyone with respect, including us non-hockey staff. If the team hadn’t already named a captain at that time, he certainly would have been given the ‘C’ a few months into the season.
Even more impressive is the road he took to get where he is. Not only was he undrafted in the NHL, but he was also a 7th-round pick in the QMJHL. Players picked past the 5th round rarely become everyday Q players, let alone make the team out of training camp at 16 years old, and even fewer go on to the NHL. Late round picks are usually reserved for gambles on American-born prospects like Jack Eichel or Noah Hanifin, or on Canadian players committed to U.S. programs. He never had a point-per-game season in juniors, not even in Midget AAA, yet he found his way to the NHL which is even more impressive. The odds were stacked against him his whole career.
So when I saw this morning that he signed a long-term contract with a solid AAV, it felt incredible. He’s a proud, humble guy who has fought (literally!) for everything he’s earned throughout his career, and he deserves every bit of it. I hope young hockey players hear his story and how he consistently beat the odds, reached the NHL, and became one of the league’s top fighters (arguably the best) while still being a solid, competent and reliable player who can occasionally contribute offensively, unlike guys like Reaves or Rempe. He’s proof that even if you don’t have elite skill, if you’re smart and can find your niche, and keep grinding to be the best at it, there’s still a place for you in hockey.
I wish more people knew Mathieu Olivier for who he really is, so much more than just an enforcer...
I had the privilege of working for the Sherbrooke Phoenix for a few years, notably during Matt's final QMJHL season in 2017-18. I was producing game-day content for the website such as game recaps and running the team's social medias during games, writing player profiles, conducting interviews, etc so I was fortunate to get to know a lot of the players on the team through the years. In my 7 years around the league, Mathieu stands out as one of the most genuine and endearing people I’ve met. He always spoke from the heart, took responsibility when things didn’t go well, and when they did, it was never about him: it was always about the team. That kind of speech and response in interviews is common in hockey, but with him, you could easily tell he was being honest and not just throwing out pre-made answers.
After post-game interviews, he’d sometimes stick around just to chat with the team and arena staff, and the writers/reporters covering the team, before heading out. But what stood out to me even more was how he treated the fans. No matter the game’s outcome, if there were fans waiting outside the locker room for photos or autographs, Matt always stopped for them. He didn’t just sign in a rush and move on, he took the time to talk to them for a quick moment, smiling the whole time. Over the years, I saw plenty of players walk past fans without a glance, some others offering a quick signature but little else, not even bothering to look at them in the eyes... But Matt was one of the rare few who made the complete effort every single time, and it never felt forced.
When he arrived in Sherbrooke after being traded by Shawinigan in the offseason, he quickly became a leader despite being new to the team. He was named an assistant captain, not only because he was a 20 year old veteran, but also because he naturally brought people together. He looked out for his teammates, mentored younger players without being asked, and kept things light in the locker room while stepping up when it mattered. He treated everyone with respect, including us non-hockey staff. If the team hadn’t already named a captain at that time, he certainly would have been given the ‘C’ a few months into the season.
Even more impressive is the road he took to get where he is. Not only was he undrafted in the NHL, but he was also a 7th-round pick in the QMJHL. Players picked past the 5th round rarely become everyday Q players, let alone make the team out of training camp at 16 years old, and even fewer go on to the NHL. Late round picks are usually reserved for gambles on American-born prospects like Jack Eichel or Noah Hanifin, or on Canadian players committed to U.S. programs. He never had a point-per-game season in juniors, not even in Midget AAA, yet he found his way to the NHL which is even more impressive. The odds were stacked against him his whole career.
So when I saw this morning that he signed a long-term contract with a solid AAV, it felt incredible. He’s a proud, humble guy who has fought (literally!) for everything he’s earned throughout his career, and he deserves every bit of it. I hope young hockey players hear his story and how he consistently beat the odds, reached the NHL, and became one of the league’s top fighters (arguably the best) while still being a solid, competent and reliable player who can occasionally contribute offensively, unlike guys like Reaves or Rempe. He’s proof that even if you don’t have elite skill, if you’re smart and can find your niche, and keep grinding to be the best at it, there’s still a place for you in hockey.
This wasn’t done in a vacuum
We don’t know if this will be done frequently or not
It’s a new GM ten months into the job
I’d rather let this play out and see if this becomes a trend or not
To equate what Jarmo and others did or did not do and to project the past onto what Waddell is doing is unfair
None of us would want someone to judge our decisions based on what someone previously had done
I’ll withhold judgement on whether or not Waddell overvalues his players when I see him doing it more than a few times so as to develop a trend
It’s a new GM so let’s evaluate him on his own merit and not on someone else’s merit
cbjthrowaway
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worth noting that the gudbranson contract carried similar criticisms – a player whose calling cards were physicality and intangibles – and similar predictions of a buyout after the second year.
we're now in year 3 of gudbranson, granted he's been on the shelf all season, but I'd argue that his asset value has gone up and that the contract itself has been far from a problem.
Yes, but Gudbranson was only for four years, not six.
And I will withhold judgment if his absence has been a net positive this season because almost everyone is playing better in the new system. But he was an abject disaster for the first half of his contract (imo).
cbjthrowaway
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olivier is two years younger and signed a deal two years longer so it balances out in my mind.
career high in points last year by a huge margin. leader in the room. also called upon to play significantly more minutes than expected (averaged over 20 minutes across his first two seasons here).
Crede777
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I think the breakdown for Waddell is that overall contract value and AAV are where you see production/ability reflected in the contract. Term comes down to role with the team. If you're a part of the core or are a leader, you get longer term.
This is also where I think the hold up on Provorov is. He has solid value and price isn't the issue. The problem is he wants term and I don't think the team sees him as being part of the core/leadership group.
This is also where I think the hold up on Provorov is. He has solid value and price isn't the issue. The problem is he wants term and I don't think the team sees him as being part of the core/leadership group.
Agreed. While he is a workhorse, Provorov is ultimately a supplemental player. Not a core guy. Fabbro is probably more of a supplemental guy as well. We should re-sign one of the two as we don’t have enough D depth to let both walk.
Cyclones Rock
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I had guessed 4 yrs @$2.75mAAV with maximum bonus. Hit the $$ missed the term. On puckpedia it didn't have any signing bonus at all and it's very front end loaded so a buyout, if needed, at $2.4m cash over the last three years is a blip on the screen. A very team-friendly structure IMO.
I'm a huge fan of fighting in the game so I don't have any issue with 6 years. If he can chip in 10 goals and 25 points per season in addition to terrifying opponents keeping them honest then all is good.
I'm a huge fan of fighting in the game so I don't have any issue with 6 years. If he can chip in 10 goals and 25 points per season in addition to terrifying opponents keeping them honest then all is good.
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Cool article into Ollie, won’t link it all but here’s a cool portion (or so I thought)
Doggy
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I was just coming here to post something similar. Really good article...and the part you quoted was one of the parts that stood out to me.
BTW, AP is killing it on the articles lately.
Monstershockey
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Mathieu Olivier vs. Brett Gallant, February 22, 2019 - Milwaukee Admirals vs. Cleveland Monsters | HockeyFights
HockeyFights - Mathieu Olivier vs. Brett Gallant, February 22, 2019 - Milwaukee Admirals vs. Cleveland Monsters
Eventually people will probably stop trying to fight him, or just fight him to remove him from the game for a while. That's what happened wit Gallnat after a while. People would just skate away. Anyway, here is Olivier and Gallant fighting. Pretty sure I was there, it just escapes my memory, like a lot of things do lately.
Doggy
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That's fine with me, if just his presence is enough to protect his teammates I am totally cool with it. At some point someone young is gonna come up and wanna make a name for themselves.
Mathieu Olivier vs. Brett Gallant, February 22, 2019 - Milwaukee Admirals vs. Cleveland Monsters | HockeyFights
HockeyFights - Mathieu Olivier vs. Brett Gallant, February 22, 2019 - Milwaukee Admirals vs. Cleveland Monsterswww.hockeyfights.com
Eventually people will probably stop trying to fight him, or just fight him to remove him from the game for a while. That's what happened wit Gallnat after a while. People would just skate away. Anyway, here is Olivier and Gallant fighting. Pretty sure I was there, it just escapes my memory, like a lot of things do lately.
I cannot imagine how his wife feels about it...gotta think she gets nervous and the heart rate jumps every time he drops the gloves.
Doggy
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BTW, interesting point...listening to BobbyMac and Jody interview Mateychuk last week. Jody asked him who the leaders in the room are and he said Z and Ollie...and Boone too. We know he is a leader in the room but it keeps getting reinforced every time you hear another player talk about his dressing room presence.
Heavy Metal Jackets
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The whole Spittin Chiclets interview with him is good if you haven't checked it out yet.
Worth every penny!
17 goals already! (16 of those 5v5 and 1 shorthanded)
Matty-O!!
17 goals already! (16 of those 5v5 and 1 shorthanded)
Matty-O!!
Cyclones Rock
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Here's "the fight". Note the reactions on the CBJ bench afterwards.
This month, just before the NHL trade deadline, Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell signed Olivier to a six-year, $18 million contract, a show of respect for all three of those attributes. Waddell said he had inquiries from eight to 10 clubs wanting to trade for him.
The $3 million salary-cap hit was surprising to some, because many believe Olivier could have landed a bigger figure this summer in free agency. One agent told The Athletic that Olivier would have made at least $4 million per year on the open market.
The term was a surprise, too. It’s one of the longest contracts in Blue Jackets history. From Olivier’s perspective, it’s proof of how much he wants to be in Columbus. From the club’s perspective, it’s proof that they don’t think any of this has been a fluke.
Perfect scenario
Olivier believes that what we’re seeing now — the unusual mix of a fighter who is something more than a liability offensively — actually began taking shape late last season. He became a lineup regular in late February, scored four goals in March and started to believe he could be more than he’d always been.Then came the offseason, in which he spent more time on the ice than in the gym — a new routine — and worked with several former NHL players to sharpen his offensive skills, especially puck-handling and puck-protecting.
Olivier also told the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast that he worked with a “neuro performance doctor” at a clinic in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, to help him focus, visualize and process split-second plays more effectively.
