It’s been quite an up-and-down season for the Montreal Canadiens: they have looked excellent against solid teams, weak against weak teams, and a little bit in between against other teams. So far, they are just under .500 for the season, with a record of 17-18-7 and 41 points at the halfway mark; the Habs are on pace to finish with around 80-82 points, where most media and fans expected them to. This is not a bad progression from last season, especially with the rash of injuries they have had once again this season. The man-games lost keep adding up with top players like Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak, and Tanner Pearson all out long-term.
One player, however, who has played every game this season is Sean Monahan, and because of his health and relatively good play, many fans want him to stay a Hab. That’s not bad in theory, but it would be a massive mistake by management.
Canadiens Acquired Monahan to Get Another First-Round Pick
Canadiens general manager (GM) Kent Hughes made a massive trade in August 2022 when he acquired Monahan from the Calgary Flames with a first-round pick that has more conditions than a car insurance claim in exchange for future considerations. Hughes used his cap space and Carey Price’s long-term injury reserve (LTIR) to take a high contract from a desperate team and squeeze a first-round pick from Calgary for basically nothing. This was a pretty slick move by the rookie GM that helped the team acquire more assets for a top future pick or to help in a trade for a top player. Not only did the Canadiens get a highly skilled player, but a player on an expiring contract that they could flip at the trade deadline for – hopefully – another first-round pick.
That was the plan, at least: to take the cap hit for Monahan in hopes that they could get not one but two first-round picks in the process. The hockey gods, however, had other plans, as Monahan was hit with several injuries last season; not only did he have an ankle injury early on but as he was rehabbing that, he also ended up pulling his groin, which eventually put him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. He played only 25 games, scoring 17 points, and his injuries halted any chances of the Canadiens trading him at the deadline for any helpful asset. This turned what was a hopeful and fruitful trade deadline for Montreal into a boring and uneventful one, which led to much disappointment.
Canadiens Re-Sign Monahan to a Cheap “Show-Me” Contract
The Canadiens season ended with no significant moves at the trade deadline and finished in the bottom five of the standings. This wasn’t a total loss because it gave them a chance to pick in the top five of the 2023 NHL Draft, where they selected defenceman David Reinbacher. This offseason for Montreal was interesting as they tried to put themselves in a position to acquire assets at the 2024 Trade Deadline. They already have defencemen David Savard and goaltender Jake Allen, who are in the second last year of their contracts. Still, they needed higher-end talent to ensure them a coveted first-round pick or at least the ability to acquire more assets adding to what they could get from the other two.
Related: Jayden Struble Changing Canadiens’ Rebuild Plans
This past offseason, the Canadiens signed Monahan to a one-year contract for under $2 million. With all his injury issues, he needed a show-me contract to prove he was still a reliable NHL top-six forward. So far, Hughes’ belief in Monahan has worked as he has remained healthy and productive. He has played every game this season, scoring 11 goals and 24 points in 42 games which puts him second on the team in goals and fourth in points. Considering that the Habs are terrible this season offensively, he has been one of their most consistent producers. This has set the table for Hughes to be able to make a deal at the deadline for a promising return as long as Monahan stays healthy until then.
Canadiens Will Trade Monahan to a Contender
There have been rumours around the league that the Canadiens plan on extending Monahan and not trading him at the deadline. Many fans have also asked for an extension, but it has been recently reported that the Habs agreed with Monahan that they would trade him to a contending team closer to the trade deadline. Centers become very important in playoff runs, especially for teams expected to make long ones. Monahan has one of the top face-off percentages (FO%) in the NHL, with 57.7%, and we all know how vital winning face-offs is, especially in the playoffs. He can win significant draws and has the skill and talent to be a top-six player and add to a team’s power play (PP).
Even before knowing an agreement for Monahan to be traded was made at the time of his contract signing, keeping him still doesn’t make much sense. He has become more expendable with the Canadiens still in a rebuild and young prospects like Owen Beck, Filip Mesar, and Riley Kidney knocking at the door of the NHL. To keep Monahan and not get the assets needed to help a rebuild happen quickly and correctly would be a massive failure by Hughes and the management team. Not only did they get a first-round pick when they acquired Monahan, but they could get another pick or high-end prospect by trading him away. Montreal only has one first-round pick this season, and if they want to guarantee a possible top pick in the draft, they could use another for leverage.
There is an argument to be made that the young prospect centres mentioned earlier are far from ready for the NHL and extending Monahan short term would help bridge the gap until they arrive. The counter to that is the Habs have four centres signed until the end of the 2024-25 season: Dach, Dvorak, Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans. They will bridge that gap quite well until the prospects, or at least one of them, is ready to take the next step. After all, with Suzuki and Dach in the top six, you only need a capable bottom-six centre, and at least one of Beck, Mesar or Kidney should be able to step into that role in two seasons.
With talks of the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche all expressing interest and Hughes’ willingness to make trades that help the team but keep the player on the move happy, it shouldn’t be hard to make a deal that will benefit both Montreal and Monahan.
