Tag: Sean Monahan

Impact of Gallagher, Monahan and Savard

Published on by JD Lagrange2 Comments

By JD Lagrange – Some will say it’s timing and coincidence, others will see the direct effect. American writer Emma Bull once wrote: “Coincidence is the word we use when we can’t see the levers and pulleys“. No matter how we try twisting it, the Montreal Canadiens have been struggling mightily since having lost three key veteran players to injuries: Brendan Gallagher, Sean Monahan and David Savard are dearly missed by the young Canadiens and it sure seems like they are… levers and pulleys for this team.

Gallagher

Brendan Gallagher will the the first to tell you that he wishes he would have contributed more on the score sheet. But anyone who has followed this team in the past 10 years or so will be able to attest that Gallagher is much more than goals’ scoring. Heart and Soul is an expression that is sometimes overused, but not in the veteran winger’s case. He’s a firecracker in the dressing room and he’s the epitome of relentlessness and hard work, doing whatever it takes to win.

Since he’s been out of the line-up, the Canadiens have a record of 3-5-1. They have scored 2.13 goals per game and have allowed 3.00 goals per game. The team is only generating 25.2 shots per game without him and the power play is at 12.1% success rate.

Monahan

Sean Monahan is a veteran center who has fit extremely well into the team.

The Canadiens are 2-4-0 since Monahan’s injury and the team’s faceoffs’ percentage is below the respectable 50% mark without him in the line-up. They have scored 2.00 goals per game and have allowed 3.33 goals per game while the power play took a huge hit, with a 4.2% success rate without him.

Savard

David Savard’s value on the Canadiens is sometimes highly underrated by fans and some members of the media. We touched on it before but he is a leading candidate for the Jacques Beauchamps award as the Canadiens’ unsung hero. At the time of his injury, he was second in the entire NHL in blocked shots with 74. He was a stabilizing force and influence on young Kaiden Guhle and the two formed the team’s top pairing.

Since he’s been out, the Canadiens have a 2-4-1 record. They score on average 2.57 goals per game but it’s on the goals’ allowed that his presence is felt most, allowing 3.86 goals per game without him. The Canadiens also allow 32.1 shots per game and the team’s penalty kill is hurting, with a 76.7% success rate.

Passengers

After the game against the Anaheim Ducks, where the Canadiens were, for the most part, outclassed by the last place Ducks, coach Martin St-Louis said that there were too many passengers on the team. It is unlikely that the coach was referring to the young players as they are the once carrying this team since the start of the season.

The next game, Evgenii Dadonov was made a healthy scratch against the Tampa Bay Lightning and we saw Joel Armia play with more conviction, stoned a couple of times by goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Jonathan Drouin has been playing some more inspired hockey since coming back three games ago but unfortunately for him, he made a few mistake while playing the point either on the power play or with the goaltender pulled. That is NOT a position for him and the coaching staff must realize that.

Invisible most of the time, Mike Hoffman is back in his coma, or so it seems, after a decent stretch. And when we do notice him, it is more often than not due to a bad pass intercepted.

If there is one thing that Gallagher, Monahan and Savard will never be qualified as, it’s the word “passengers”. And the Canadiens will be much better off with those three men back into the line-up.

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Second Line Centers

Published on by rwtrask107532 Comments

By Bob Trask – The calls for Sean Monahan to be traded for anything from a first round pick plus prospects to a second round pick or less refuse to die down. Many want general manager Kent Hughes to pull the trigger before a more complete analysis of the situation can be done.

Fans’ arguments are many. It’s a deep draft. Monahan is old (28 years old) and injury prone. The Canadiens aren’t close to being contenders yet. Make the trade while his value is high. And there are many others.

But let’s take a closer look at the situation.

Possible Replacements

It’s already been pointed out that late 1st round picks have a low probability of developing into a player of Monahan’s quality and even if they do, it takes four to five years before they are ready to contribute in a significant way. While Hughes wants to build a team that can sustain success over a long period of time, it’s doubtful he want to be in a constant state of waiting for draft choices to develop while the team struggles. Counting on a late first round pick to immediately take Monahan’s spot would be s step backward.

Sean Monahan

A look within the organization also reveals that there is no one close who would be able to replace what Monahan brings. With all due respect to Owen Beck, he needs a couple of years. Even if he makes the squad next year, it wouldn’t be as a 2nd line center. Riley Kidney is skilled but not the physical presence that Monahan brings and could use a couple of years in Laval – for physical development if nothing else. Oliver Kapanen is still plying his traded and developing in Europe. A pick like Adam Fantilli might be able to step in but the likelihood of the Habs choosing top 3 seems remote. Perhaps a trade for a highly rated prospect might help but it would be far from a sure thing.

And it’s more than the on-ice skills that must be considered. Monahan brings an element of leadership to the team. Removing that leaves a void.

Age Comparisons

The fear of many is that Monahan will be too old before the Habs are ready to compete. A look at some of the second line centers on top contenders may help to dismiss that argument. These are all players who are teams currently in a playoff spot, with the exception of Kadri who played for the Stanley Cup winner last year at the age of 31. At least two of them, Stamkos and Malkin, have suffered through serious injury. So maybe the age/injury argument is overdone.

  • Joe Pavelski – Dallas Stars +10 years
  • Evgeni Malkin – Pittsburgh Penguins +8 years
  • David Krejci – Boston Bruins +8 years
  • Jordan Staal – Carolina Hurricanes +6 years
  • Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning +4 years
  • Nazem Kadri – Calgary Flames +4 years
  • John Tavares – Toronto Maple Leafs +4 years
  • Brock Nelson – NY Islanders +3 years

Based on this, Monahan has the potential to be a solid contributor when the Canadiens are ready to compete. If it takes them three more years to be competitive, Monahan will still be younger than than everyone on this list and exactly the same age as Brock Nelson is this year.

Team Structure

Every GM has his own vision of how a team is constructed but successful teams often have a blend of youth and experience. As this season unfolds, Hughes will undoubtedly be evaluating the talent on the team along with trying to determine the potential for success in the next couple of years. That evaluation combined with the quality of assets he may be offered in return for Sean Monahan will determine the course of action that he takes.

Nothing is a slam dunk at this point. In the meantime, Monahan’s value has continued to rise, whether it is on the ice or in the trade market.

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