MONTREAL — You know 2026 off-season fatigue has hit its peak when a potential 2029 expansion draft has already dominated over a week’s worth of chatter.

Not to keep that yarn rolling when it’s already unraveling at terminal velocity, but since Montreal Canadiens blogs and podcasts have been pumping out probable protection lists like the expansion draft is happening next week, let’s start here: Mike Matheson won’t be exempt — and not just when the defenceman’s no-movement clause turns into a partial no-trade clause three summers from now.

Should the National Hockey League’s 33rd team come into existence even sooner than expected and an expansion draft be held in either 2027 or 2028, Matheson’s no-movement clause still won’t provide him exemption. That was negotiated with the Canadiens before he signed his five-year, $30-million extension last October.

So, keep making your lists and checking them twice while keeping that tidbit in mind.

Extension for Zachary Bolduc should get done before camp starts

If this extension is causing Canadiens fans a bit of unrest, Zachary Bolduc certainly didn’t appear to be losing sleep over it six weeks ago when he told La Presse’s Guillaume Lefrancois he wasn’t worried about it, that it was in agent Pat Brisson’s hands, and that it would “get taken care of soon.”

I’m not sure it’s coming today, but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t done before the Canadiens report for physicals on........

© Sportsnet