Tallon convinced Michael into signing a lucrative 8-year deal worth $4.875 million annually. Michael Matheson wound up experiencing greater success in the following season, becoming a more dependable, well-rounded/complete defenseman, ultimately establishing himself as a steady top 4 defender.
Matheson was scratched once during the 2017-18 season because of occasional defensive lapses; however, despite this little road block, Matheson improved defensively in a significant manner. Mike utilized an aggressive approach, incorporating speed and quickness, as means of effectively battling against opposing forwards. Matheson was brilliant regarding tracking down forwards, considering Michael’s notable strengths were skating and agility/mobility.