Mathieu Olivier signed a 6-year, $18 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $3 million through the 2030-31 season.
The 28-year-old forward could have been an unrestricted free agent after this season. He has 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 61 games.
"It's a really good day for my family," Olivier said. "Securing some years here really is something that I'm grateful for and truly humbled to be able to sign that contract and stay in Columbus for years to come.
"We don't have careers that go into our 50s and 60s so we have to make the most out of the time that we have playing hockey. Being a father and a family man, that was something that was really important to me."
Signed by the Nashville Predators as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2019, Olivier has 55 points (25 goals, 30 assists) in 229 regular-season games for the Blue Jackets and Predators and no points in five Stanley Cup Playoff games. He was traded to Columbus by Nashville on June 30, 2022, for a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.