The Boston Bruins have had a remarkable start to the season, sporting a 9-0-1 record in their first ten games. After losing several notable players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Taylor Hall this offseason, they are showing that they are still quite competitive. If they continue this kind of success as the year rolls on, they surely will be buyers at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. One player who they should keep an eye on is Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan.
Monahan is a prime rental candidate for the Canadiens. Although Montreal has had a decent start to the season, they are rebuilding and certainly could shop Monahan at some point this campaign because of it. This is because he has an expiring deal, and he may not be in their long-term plans, given his age. Thus, let’s go over why the Bruins should consider targeting him now.
Why the Bruins Should Target Monahan
The Bruins would be wise to target another center this season. Even with the emergence of top prospect Matt Poitras, the losses of Bergeron and Krejci have naturally impacted their star power down the middle. Bringing in a player like Monahan could be another way to help lessen the sting of this.
Monahan, 29, has quietly had a spectacular start to the 2023-24 season. In 10 games thus far, the Brampton, Ontario native has a team-leading six goals to go along with nine points and a plus-6 rating. This kind of production is great to see from the veteran, but especially so when noting that he has dealt with serious injury trouble over the last few seasons. Although the sample size has been small this campaign, he has looked excellent and more like his old self from his best Calgary Flames days.
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Another major reason why the Bruins should look at Monahan is he is fairly affordable. He only carries a $1.985 million cap hit, and the Bruins would be able to fit him in pretty easily if they move a player the other way and/or the Canadiens retain 50% of his salary. With that, the Bruins would need to include a notable prospect and decent draft pick.
Why Monahan Would Fit On the Bruins
When looking at a potential fit for Monahan in the Bruins’ lineup, he could work as the second-line center with Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk on his wings. Monahan would give Marchand and DeBrusk a more offensively-driven center to work with, so they could form a strong trio.
However, for this to occur, the Bruins would need to move Pavel Zacha back to the left wing permanently. This is not too far-fetched of a notion, either, as Zacha played left wing all of last season and moved back to the spot against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 2. Thus, the Bruins’ first line could be Zacha and David Pastrnak on the wings, with Poitras centering them. However, Monahan could also be an option for that line if the Bruins wanted to switch things up.
Monahan would also be an immediate fit on the Bruins’ power play, as he has a high offensive IQ and can both score and set up plays. With the Bruins’ power play getting mixed results so far this season, adding another weapon like Monahan would not be a bad idea in the slightest.
Bruins & Habs Trades Are Very Rare, Though
The one obstacle in a potential Monahan addition is that Bruins and Canadiens trades are extremely rare. This ultimately makes sense, as these two clubs have one of the most-hated rivalries in all of sports, and it has gone on for several decades. The last time these two clubs struck a deal was in 2001, when the Bruins acquired Eric Weinrich from the Canadiens and sent Patrick Traverse to Montreal. However, when noting that the Canadiens are in a full-on rebuild while the Bruins are in win-now mode, it could open the door to these two clubs doing business with each other.
If Monahan keeps producing at his current pace, the Canadiens would expect a decent return for him, but the Bruins are in a position where it is worth some consideration. Monahan would help improve their group down the middle and give them more offensive production. Meanwhile, making a move with the Bruins could be worthwhile for the Canadiens if it helps land them some assets that help their rebuild.
Alas, we will need to wait and see if the Bruins end up having Monahan on their radar this season. However, if he continues to make a strong impact like he is now, don’t be surprised if they are among the clubs connected to him when we get closer to the trade deadline.
