Olivier signs 6-year, $18 million contract with Blue Jackets

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.

"[Olivier] said right off the bat that he wanted to go at least four years out," Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said. "We just felt that to bring the AAV down a little bit, to extend him out through six years. And you know, I talked to Matthew, obviously not about numbers, but about being here and certainly his family loves it here. And the biggest thing that I always like to hear is he wants to be part of the solution. When you hear those things and then you watch him in his actions, you know that he can be part of the solution.."

Olivier is leading the Blue Jackets in hits (232), which is second in the NHL behind Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks (323).

"This year, he's our most physical player, and we just felt that, I know I got a lot of calls on him, and so I knew if this went to free agency he would be in demand," Waddell said. "Everybody's looking for these types of players for the most part. So, we just felt that comfortable with the term and the AAV and we're very happy to have six years."

The Blue Jackets (30-23-8) visit the Florida Panthers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, SCRIPPS), their final game before the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. They hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the New York Rangers.

Columbus last made the playoffs in 2019-20, a five-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference First Round. It's since finished no higher than sixth in its division and last the previous two seasons.

"That was part of my intention as well for wanting to stay here is I believe in what we're doing," Olivier said. "The last two years we've been at the bottom of the East, but I knew that we had some pieces that could make it work eventually, and feels like this year were turning a corner," Olivier said. "We're making a realistic push for the playoffs here, which is our goal, and couldn't be more proud of our group and the way we've been playing this year."

NHL.com independent correspondent Craig Merz contributed to this report