Montreal Canadiens: Top Five Point Producers In 2023

2. Mike Matheson - 55 Points

When he was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Matheson was seen as more of a cap dump by the Pens, or at least a necessary cap maneuver to acquire Jeff Petry. It didn't take long for the Pens to regret the trade, and the Canadiens to look very wise for getting a lot for a player that wanted out.

Petry was not able to be a difference maker for the Penguins in his one season there, and was eventually moved back to the Canadiens so the Penguins could make room for Erik Karlsson. He was quickly then flipped to the Detroit Red Wings but is collecting pay from the Pens, Canadiens and Wings as no one wanted his full cap hit.

Meanwhile, Matheson has blossomed into one of the busiest defensemen in the NHL as his ice time skyrocketed upon arriving in Montreal and so did his production. He did miss some time to begin last season, but was able to suit up for 74 of the team's 81 games in 2023.

Matheson scored 55 points in the year, which put him comfortably inside the top 20 among defenders in points. It also put him well ahead of the Canadiens third highest scoring player making him one of the most valuable members of the team in 2023.

The Canadiens have a plethora of young defenders working their way into full time duty at the NHL level, but Matheson remains the team's unquestioned number one defender for now.