The Habs locked in another core defenceman for the long haul back on Friday when they signed Mike Matheson to a five-year, $30 million extension. Our writers offer up their thoughts on the signing.

The Habs had a tough three-in-four stretch out West this past week. The last game was certainly a struggle but they played well in the other two to pick up a pair of victories and make it a successful showing as they continue to work to right the ship after some struggles.

After a big win in Vegas on Friday, the Habs weren’t able to follow that up on Saturday in Colorado. Instead, the Avalanche took advantage of some shaky defence from the visitors, paving the way for them to pick up a 7-2 win.

The Habs started a tough back-to-back set on Friday with a game in Vegas. Samuel Montembeault had his best performance of the season in goal while Montreal’s top six chipped in with three goals to give Montreal the 4-1 win.

Montreal’s top pending unrestricted free agent won’t be hitting the market in July after all.  The Canadiens announced on Friday that they’ve signed defenceman Mike Matheson to a five-year, $30 million contract extension.

At the end of training camp, the Habs tried to sneak winger Samuel Blais through waivers but were unsuccessful, losing him to Toronto.  However, on Thursday, he rejoined the Canadiens after they claimed him off waivers from the Maple Leafs.

Montreal’s second period on Wednesday in Utah was a problem as they allowed three goals. However, they managed a pair of goals in the first and third periods, allowing them to start their Western road trip on a winning note.

While the Habs had a solid game on Saturday, their play in previous weeks has been concerning. Instead of being in a battle for top spot in the division, they’re out of the playoffs with key injuries mounting.

While there are still a lot of questions surrounding the Canadiens right now, they managed a respectable week in the standings with three points in three games to stay in the mix in a very tight Atlantic Division.

With the Habs set to head out on a West Coast road trip, they have added some reinforcements.  The team announced Sunday that they’ve signed forward Alexandre Texier to a one-year deal and recalled defenceman Adam Engstrom from Laval.