By JD Lagrange – It was so complicated, that even the NHL didn’t understand the conditions attached to a major trade which sent center Sean Monahan and a conditional first round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for… nothing in return. Well, they call it “future consideration”. So Flames’ GM Brad Treliving and his counterpart, Kent Hughes, ironed out a few wrinkles and the deal was finally announced… and few understand the conditions, still. But it sort of boils down to this:
It is important to note that the move allowed the Flames to sign UFA Nazem Kadri to a seven year, $49 million contract. He will replace departing UFA Johnny Gaudreau, who signed as a UFA with the Columbus Blue Jackets a while ago.
Who is Monahan?
Let’s start from the beginning. Sean Monahan was the Flames’ first round pick in 2013, selected sixth overall. The 6-foot 2-inches, 200 lbs center, who will turn 28 years old in October, is in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $6.375 million. So far so good.
Last season, the former 30-goals’ scorer played 65 games and managed only eight goals, 23 points and had a success rate of 53.2% in the faceoffs’ dot.
Injuries, including surgeries, have taken a toll on his game; he is no longer the scorer who put up seven straight 20-goal seasons. However, he still knows how to find the quiet spots on the ice to get his shot off and can still produce in a diminished role.
Hip injuries
For the past two seasons, Monahan had to cut his seasons short due to not one, but two hips injuries, on which he was operated on.
The following is an excerpt from thewincolumn.ca:
2021-21: With the Flames out of the playoffs, Monahan was shut down to undergo hip surgery on his left side. As a faceoff-taker, struggling with hip issues is a major concern for his ability to play the game. He allegedly suffered the injury quite early in the season, and struggled to walk after practice, yet he continued to play to help his team win games.
2021-22: He was shut down for the season to undergo hip surgery on his right hip this time. This is retroactive to April 1, which means he may have been injured in the overtime loss to Los Angeles or it could have been aggravated even more that night to the point where the surgery was necessary now as opposed to in the off-season.
Monahan is beloved in the room, and has done so much to pull the franchise to where it is today. It is hard to overstate just how much he has given to make this team what it is today, and his history of playing through injuries is just the icing on that cake.
So the Canadiens are getting a good guy. A character guy who is not only talented, but a real pro. The big question mark is if he can return to form or not. The fact that he is scheduled to become a UFA after this season could make him yet another great asset for the Canadiens at trade deadline.
More reading…
- Habs Top-5 Trade Deadline Assets by JD Lagrange
- The Situation at Center by Bob Trask
- Mid-August Top Remaining UFAs by JD Lagrange
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