I think today's trade means montreal has a trade in place for Mattieson
I would love Matheson on the Oilers. He's an exceptional skater and would fit in well under coffeys system. Our dmen don't sit back and defend the net, they make plays and push the pace of the game. He can play both sides and in all situations.
I don't get all the hate from fans. Is it the acquisition cost? I dont think the cost will be as much as fans think. The warts he does have will keep the cost down which is necessary because the Oilers can't afford to outbid other teams.
The value I really see with Matheson is that he still has an extra year on his contract and at 50% that's only 2.44M against the cap. So if Kulak and Matheson are splitting time he brings value in either spot. The Oilers can't afford to bring in another high price defenceman into the mix with Draisaitl getting his increase and Bouchard getting his.
Keep in mind that playoff rosters aren't the same as regular season rosters. Having Matheson on the bottom pair is a competitive advantage. Sure it might be a luxury but it's not stopping the Oilers from making other moves. Oilers don't need to go after the big name that's going to command a stupid amount of money.
Also everyone on here is complaining that we lost Broberg but Matheson is a better version of broberg thats also cheaper against the cap.