Blue Jackets’ Olivier Used Work Ethic to Earn Contract Extension

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The Columbus Blue Jackets took care of another piece of business on Wednesday. One of their hard-working forwards was rewarded for his play.

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The Blue Jackets and forward Mathieu Olivier agreed to a two-year extension with an AAV of $1.1 million. He was set to become an RFA. The new deal buys one RFA year and one UFA year.

Olivier was acquired by the Blue Jackets from the Nashville Predators before the start of last season in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. At the time, the team was missing a physical element in their game.

As it turned out, Olivier used his work ethic and determination to earn his new contract. He also engaged in a lot of the dirty work in the form of answering the bell in several fights. He didn’t back down from anyone which helped earned the respect of his teammates.

Olivier’s Valuable Contributions

Here is what Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen had to say about Olivier.

“Mathieu’s work ethic and dedication are tremendous and he has become a valuable contributor to our organization on and off the ice. He brings size, physicality and character to our lineup and we are excited that he will continue to be part of the Blue Jackets family.”

Mathieu Olivier Columbus Blue Jackets
Mathieu Olivier’s work ethic helped him earn his two-year contract extension. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Olivier set career highs in goals, assists, points and games played with his season of 5-10-15 in 66 games. He accrued 81 penalty minutes which included nine fights. He had a stretch of three games in a row against Anaheim, San Jose and Calgary where he recorded a fight.

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It was evident that teams had to answer to both Olivier and Erik Gudbranson when things got rough. Teams were used to being able to impose themselves on the Blue Jackets without the threat of resistance in previous seasons. That is no longer the case.

But then Olivier really clicked on a line with Sean Kuraly and Eric Robinson. That line was sometimes the most effective line in a game given the different elements of speed and physicality that were on it.

Expectation for Next Season

We should expect much the same from Olivier moving forward. He will continue to be an in-your-face player who will play an honest, straight-ahead game. It’s very possible he finds himself in double-digit fights as well. With so much skill on the team, having a player like Olivier is big especially for the younger players.

Olivier’s style would fit what incoming coach Mike Babcock is looking for. Depending on how much Babcock wants to roll his lines, he tends to lean on veterans especially when trying to protect a lead. Don’t be surprised if we see an uptick from his 11:01 average ice time especially if he plays with Robinson and Kuraly again.

Olivier also doesn’t get enough credit for the other elements of his game. He has underrated speed and has some finish when given the opportunity. Opponents will focus on shutting down the skill players. Olivier and the bottom-six could see offensive opportunities against weaker competition as a result.

A Good Deal

All things considered, the Olivier extension is a win for everyone involved. The player gets a raise as both years of his deal are straight-up $1.1 million in salary. The team gets a dependable bottom-six winger that can impact the game in multiple ways.

This now leaves the Blue Jackets four RFA’s to sign: Tim Berni, Marcus Bjork, Trey Fix-Wolansky and Carson Meyer. Gavin Bayreuther and Lane Pederson are pending UFA’s. At this point, the belief is that both players will get to market.