Olivier Earns His Keep as Blue Jackets Bet Pays Off

Mathieu Olivier did more than stick around this season - he made the Blue Jackets look smart for paying him. His value shows up in the kind of minutes and details coaches love and fans often notice only after the fact. Columbus needed him to settle into a real role, and he answered with the sort of steady work that quietly hardens a roster. This is the part of a contract extension that front offices hope for and opponents hate to face.