Matheson will be 30 next season (prime)
stats the last 2 season
2022/23, TOI 24:27 - 0.70 PPG (34 in 48 GP)
2023/24, TOI 25:33 - 0.70 PPG (62 in 82 GP)

Has 2 more years on his contract at JUST 4.875M

So no you ain't getting a top 10 scoring defenseman for just the 16th overall

Plus minus goes brrr

Sure, go build a team based on that, SMH

Prime isn’t 30. 18-23 is most growth, 23-25 is gradual growth, Prime is 25-28, 29-32 is early decline, 33+ is full decline. There have been countless studies on this using any number of metrics and the age ranges I listed are the general consensus

To my knowledge, this is actually wrong.
The most recent research on the topic that I'm familiar with sets the average prime years to between 23-25.

It's a young man's sport.

Yeah you could include gradual growth as part of the prime but people usually complain when I do that because it’s such a subtle difference, but they are still technically getting better in that window so I chose to put it separate. (Bottom 6 guys need that extra runway, star players are already peaking when you said) but yeah 30 is absolutely in the zone of early decline

This is not really correct either, according to recent research.
23-25 is the AVERAGE prime. Meaning there will be many cases of NHLers peaking in their careers before the age of 23 - about just as many whom peaks after the age of 25.

Giving up daws, 10th overall and a 2nd for the right to pay Jordan Binnington and Mike Matheson a combined 11 million dollars is disgusting.

Dude you're paying Dougie Injuredton and Ondrej Paflop 15 million calm down

Dougie+Palat>>Binnington+Matheson

But let’s flip the tables.

Hamilton+Palat for Hofer+Blues 1st+2nd.

Huh? No thank you.