Turn of events involving Sean Monahan and the Canadiens?
When Kent Hughes acquired Sean Monahan last summer, his intentions were clear. Indeed, the general manager of the Tricolore aimed to allow the 28-year-old forward to revive his career with the view of trading him at the trade deadline for a high draft pick or a top prospect.
Although he was a crucial player for the Montreal Canadiens at the beginning of the season, scoring 6 goals and 11 assists, the centerman suffered a serious injury that kept him out of play until the end of the regular season. This absence thus thwarted the plans of the Montreal organization, preventing a potential trade.
However, the general manager offered a one-season contract extension to the forward, in order to give himself a second chance to execute his plan, while also giving the young players in the lineup the opportunity to benefit from his experience for several months.
As training camps are fast approaching, many fans are wondering about the line combinations Martin St. Louis will use during the preseason games. Several options such as Josh Anderson, Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, and even Juraj Slafkovsky are available to him to find an ideal partner for Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
However, even though many observers expected Sean Monahan to start the year on the second or third line, Tony Marinaro doesn't share this opinion. He believes that Martin St. Louis should pair him with the two star forwards of the organization, in order to increase his trade market value.
Personally, I believe this could be a very good idea. Not only because Monahan would be in a favorable position to allow the Canadiens to get a bigger return in a potential trade, but because his experience could bring a considerable advantage to his two linemates.
Even though the forward from Brampton has somewhat slowed down over the last few seasons, due to his multiple injuries, there's no doubt that he has very interesting offensive skills, having reached the 60-point plateau four times with the Calgary Flames.
Moreover, Sean Monahan has surpassed 25 goals and 30 assists five times in his career. He has an excellent vision of the game and knows where to position himself in offensive territory to find the back of the net. These two attributes will greatly help him be a top choice to complement Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Do you think Sean Monahan should start the year on the first line?
| POLL | ||
How many points will Sean Monahan score this season? | ||
| Less than 30 | 37 | 10.2 % |
| Between 30 and 45 | 139 | 38.5 % |
| Between 45 and 50 | 116 | 32.1 % |
| More than 50 | 69 | 19.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
