The Winnipeg Jets have made their move, and they made it early, acquiring Sean Monahan for a first-round pick and conditional third over the All-Star Break. This fits a clear need in the Jets’ lineup at second-line centre, gives Rick Bowness another faceoff taker, and could even result in more ice time going forward for Cole Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers.
With Mark Scheifele out of the lineup with a lower-body injury, the offence cratered and they failed to maintain their top spot in the Western Conference. Now with Scheifele likely to return after the break, and with Monahan in the fold, the Jets’ centre depth looks to be taking a big step forward. Here are three initial takeaways from the trade.
Jets Acquire Sean Monahan Who Fits a Clear Need in the Lineup
The Jets improved a clear need in their lineup with this deal. Vladislav Namestnikov has been great as the team’s second-line centre, but with Scheifele missing a handful of games due to a lower-body injury, Jets fans and management got a front-row seat to what their offence looks like in the event of an injury to a centre. Monahan joins the Jets having posted 13 goals, 22 assists, and 35 points in 49 games played this season.
One aspect of this deal that I am in favour of is the timing of it. A prototypical “trade deadline acquisition” on March 8 would have left Monahan with 20 games in the Jets lineup before the playoffs. With this deal, he has 35 games of runway to get acclimated into the lineup, build chemistry, and be at his best when the games count the most.
In the eyes of the Jets’ coaching staff and Rick Bowness specifically, one of the best skills that Monahan can apply to the Jets’ style of hockey is his ability to win faceoffs. Monahan is winning faceoffs at a 55 percent clip this season.
The importance of faceoffs is a debate for another article, but Bowness has repeatedly pointed to the dot when his team is getting outplayed at five-on-five. This move will give the Jets a boost offensively and in the faceoff dot, two areas that Bowness has been looking to improve over the past month.
For those who roll their eyes at the faceoff conversation (I don’t blame you), Monahan’s faceoff ability (55%) might result in Perfetti and Ehlers getting a bump in their time on the ice. Bowness consistently sends Scheifele or Lowry over the boards to take faceoffs, but with Monahan in the mix, Perfetti and Ehlers could benefit greatly from a few extra offensive zone starts.
Jets Don’t Move Any Prospects in Deal by Trading First-Round Pick
The Jets move their 2024 first-round pick which they obviously hope is a very late first-rounder in the end. The second pick in the deal is a 2027 third-round pick, which only goes to the Canadiens if the Jets win the Stanley Cup this season. This means they have yet to part with anyone from their prospect pool, which remains intact for now as the Jets load up for a Stanley Cup run.
Related: Jets Acquire Sean Monahan From Canadiens
As we can see from Monahan’s RAPM chart from Evolving Hockey, he provides plus value in the offensive zone and on the power play but gives a lot back in the defensive zone. In Winnipeg’s defensive system, those numbers might bounce back to a more average level. Our first chance to see him in a Jets uniform will likely be Feb. 6, when the Jets return from All-Star break to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Jets keep their prospects and move off of a later first-round pick for a rental second-line centre who will help offensively and in the faceoff dot. That feels like fair value, but it obviously depends on how far the Jets can go in the playoffs this season.
The timing on this is interesting, as after they missed out on the top trade target in Elias Lindholm, who was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks, the Jets made a play for another centre on the market.
The Jets Have Room for Another Addition at the Trade Deadline
Last season, the Jets stumbled into the trade deadline and still made two moves – Nino Niederreiter and Namestnikov both came to Winnipeg for mid-round picks. Now with still a month and a few days until the official trade deadline, I’d say it’s a fair assumption to think the Jets aren’t done adding quite yet.
According to CapFriendly, the Jets currently have $3.2 million in deadline cap space, which gives them plenty of room to make another addition over the next month. They may have to use some salary retention to get a new player to fit under the cap, but this still gives them the wiggle room to bolster their defence core if they so choose.
Chris Tanev, Sean Walker, and Jakob Chychrun are a few of the names appearing on trade boards across the NHL. With their 2024 first-round pick heading out the door, Winnipeg might have to get creative and include prospects in a deal if they are going to make another big splash. They have a month to do so, and their play over the next month will likely highly influence that decision.
Related: Jets Trading for Chris Tanev Would Be the Perfect Deadline Move
They made their move and made it early. Monahan is headed to Winnipeg for a first-round pick and conditional third-rounder, and on paper, it fits a need down the middle that is essential in the playoffs. Whether or not this is the only addition will be decided over the next few weeks. In the meantime, Monahan is expected to make his Jets debut on Feb 6, with 35 games until the playoffs begin.
