After nearly making the roster straight out of camp, and lighting up the AHL early in the season, Denton Mateychuk was called up to provide another depth option over Jack Johnson and Jordan Harris. By the end of the season, he was the No. 2 Defenseman behind Zach Werenski, and even played some with Z on the top pair.
Despite his young age, Mateychuk offered stability among a defensive unit that was more than accident prone. He wasn’t dazzling offensively, only putting up 13 points in 45 games, but was excellent at extending possessions and creating opportunities. He formed great chemistry with pending UFA Ivan Provorov through January and February, but by my eye seemed to struggle down the stretch along with the rest of the roster. Still, he shows great promise as the Robin to Werenski’s Batman for the forseeable future.
2024-25 Stats
NHL:
Games: 45
Goals: 4
Assists: 9
Points: 13
Plus/Minus: +4
PIM: 20
5v5 Corsi %: 45.8%
5v5 Fenwick %: 46.1%
5v5 O-Zone Start %: 42.6%
AHL:
Games: 32 (27 RS, 5 Playoffs)
Goals: 12
Assists: 18
Points: 30
Plus/Minus: +4
PIM: 14
Contract
Mateychuk’s still on his ELC, being paid $887K per year through 2026-27. He’ll be an RFA in 2027.
High Point
Mateychuk had two multi-point games, including scoring his first NHL goal on January 9th, and sparking two separate multi-goal comebacks March 28th versus Vancouver. But I’ve gotta go with the one that is an eternal record: The first outdoor goal in Columbus Blue Jackets history.
Low Point
Immediately after that Stadium Series game, Mateychuk also struggled, only earning one assist in the next eight games. Just a -2 though. Honestly, for a 20-year-old defenseman, he didn’t really have any bad stretches that stood out.
Report Card
B+
I really went back and forth between a B+ and A- here, but ultimately went with the slightly lower mark here. His effectiveness down the stretch seemed to waver, and while his defensive game has room for improvement. But he’s still just 20, so this is an 88 curved to a 92 type situation.