So far this season, the veteran center has remained healthy, and his size, scoring ability, and faceoff skills have been a huge asset to Montreal.
Who do you want in the Canadiens lineup for the next three or four years: Sacha Boisvert or Sean Monahan?
Or how about E.J. Emery? Or how about Cole Hutson?
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That is the question that the Canadiens’ management team must answer between now and the NHL trade deadline on March 8.
When the Canadiens signed Monahan to a one-year, $1.985 million contract this summer, it was assumed he would have a chance to prove his health and, if productive, Montreal could trade him for a draft pick.
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Monahan has been healthy and productive so far this season, which is why he could be a valuable commodity at the deadline, but it is also why the Canadiens should seriously consider handing him a contract extension.
If they trade him, it will be to a team that already has a playoff spot or is close to securing one. If they receive a first-round pick in exchange, it will be in the bottom half of the round, and you don’t need advanced analytics to figure out that such a player would be three to four years away from making his NHL debut. That player would also be unlikely to reach the level of Monahan, who was an elite center before suffering hip injuries.
This is not to dismiss Trois-Rivières natives Boisvert, Emery, or Hutson — Lane Hutson’s younger, but slightly taller, brother — but all three will be spending the foreseeable future on college campuses in the United States, whereas Monahan could contribute to the rebuild.
Monahan had seven straight 20-goal seasons, including three seasons with 30 or more goals.
He has six goals and seven assists in 19 games this season, and his versatility is reflected in his three power-play goals and two short-handed efforts. He possesses several of the assets that the Canadiens have lacked at center in recent years. He is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, and he is the team’s most dependable faceoff man, with a 58.1 percent success rate that ranks sixth in the NHL.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers can begin printing playoff tickets despite the fact that only a quarter of the NHL season has passed.
Meanwhile, players in Montreal, Chicago, Edmonton, and Ottawa can book non-refundable tickets for travel in late April with confidence.
We can say that with some certainty because, since the salary cap era began, roughly 75% of teams with a playoff position on Thanksgiving Day in the United States have made the playoffs. Only three teams from either conference’s bottom eight made the playoffs last season.
Some notable exceptions have occurred. Goaltender Jake Allen of the Montreal Canadiens can tell you about the St. Louis Blues, who were dead last in the standings as late as New Year’s Day in 2019 but went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens are currently in contention for a playoff spot, and they are capable of producing excitement if not wins. However, inconsistent goaltending and a new round of injuries will leave Montreal fans with the worst-case scenario — a record that isn’t good enough to make the playoffs but not bad enough to earn a top-five draft pick.
While Canadiens fans have accepted, and in some cases embraced, the idea of a major rebuild, fans in Ottawa and Edmonton will be disappointed.
From new owner Michael Andlauer on down, the Senators were expected to compete for a playoff spot for the first time in seven years, but the team is off to a slow start, and already sluggish attendance is down slightly as everyone waits for a winning team and a new downtown arena.
While Montreal and Ottawa are in various stages of rebuilding, Edmonton had high hopes after reaching the Western Conference finals two years ago before losing to Stanley Cup champion Colorado.
The Oilers are currently ranked 30th in the league, and a coaching change hasn’t produced the desired results. The Oilers won two games after Kris Knoblauch took over for Jay Woodcroft, but have since lost three in a row.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s offensive production has dropped, and people are now complaining that the two superstars can’t play defense.
The Oilers require goaltending, and a deal with Montreal is rumored to be in the works. Cayden Primeau and Joel Armia for McDavid seems reasonable.
Getting a goalie without improving their defence is a waste of time. I propose trading Kovacevic And Allen for 2 top prospects and the #1 2024 pick. We take Campbell @50% salary. I still think Campbell is a serviceable goaltender who would remain in the minors but be available in case of injury. The question would be is Campbell that bad or was his problem Edmonton’s defence was poor. He just got a shut out in his last minor league game.