Blue Jackets sign Mathieu Olivier to six-year contract extension
On Wednesday, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell announced that the team has signed forward Mathieu Olivier to a six-year contract extension. The deal, set to kick in next season, will have an AAV of $3 million through the 2030-31 campaign.
OLLIE’S HERE TO STAY‼️‼️
We’ve signed F Mathieu Olivier to a 6-year contract extension!
📝 https://t.co/6TEsIgdsmG@RuoffMortgage | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/rixXlozFXc
It will be a nice pay bump for Olivier, who is in the final season of the two-year contract he signed with the team in June 2023. His current deal has a cap hit of $1.1 million.
“Mathieu Olivier has emerged as a key contributor on and off the ice thanks to his work ethic, dedication, leadership and other intangibles that are critical to a team’s success,” Waddell said in a release. “Ensuring that Mathieu remains a Blue Jacket was a priority for us and we are ecstatic that he and his family will be part of our Blue Jackets family for many years.”
Olivier is in the midst of the best season of his NHL career. Just a few games away from setting a career-high in appearances, the 28-year-old has scored 12 goals and nine assists for 21. He has already notched the most goals and points in a single season since making his NHL debut during the 2019-20 season. He had a three-game point streak last week, including scoring a goal in the Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium against the Detroit Red Wings last Saturday. Columbus went on to win the game, 5-3.
Olivier has been branded as more of a grinder in the Blue Jackets’ bottom six. While he has been averaging 14:26 of ice time per contest, he has posted 113 penalty minutes in 61 games this season.
The Biloxi, Mississippi native went undrafted but was signed to an entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators at the end of his QMJHL career. After three seasons with the Preds, he was dealt to the Blue Jackets for a fourth-round pick in June 2022.
In 229 career games, Olivier has posted 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points. He also played in five Stanley Cup Playoff games with Nashville.
The Blue Jackets (30-23-8) are fourth in the Metropolitan Division, holding the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.