Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign forward Mathieu Olivier to two-year contract

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Mathieu Olivier to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Wednesday afternoon.

Olivier, 26, collected 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) and 81 penalty minutes in 66 games with the Blue Jackets during the 2022–23 regular season. His new contract carries a $1.1 million average annual value and runs through the end of the 2024–25 campaign.

The Blue Jackets originally acquired Olivier from the Nashville Predators on July 1, 2022, sending a 2022 fourth-round draft pick the other way in the trade. Olivier had been set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.

Only one person born in Mississippi has ever played in the National Hockey League. That’s Olivier, who hails from the small coastal city of Biloxi.

Olivier grew up in Quebec and played in the QMJHL for the Moncton Wildcats, Shawinigan Cataractes, and Sherbrooke Phoenix before turning professional in 2018 with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

After a successful AHL rookie season with the Admirals, Olivier signed an entry-level contract with Nashville in 2019. He made his NHL debut with the Predators during the 2019–20 regular season.

Olivier appeared in 48 regular-season games and five playoff contests over three years with the Predators before being traded to Columbus. He finally established himself as a full-time NHLer in his first season with the Blue Jackets.

Through 114 career games over parts of four NHL seasons, Olivier has racked up eight goals, 22 points, and 169 penalty minutes. He’s added 14 penalty minutes (but no points) in five career playoff games.

With Olivier now signed, the Blue Jackets have four remaining pending RFAs on their register: Tim Berni, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Carson Meyer, and Marcus Bjork. The deadline for teams to tender qualifying offers is June 30.