Reaction: Jets Acquiring Monahan from Canadiens Looks Like a True Win-Win
The Winnipeg Jets add center Sean Monahan to fill a gap in their lineup in their Stanley Cup pursuit, while the Montreal Canadiens pull off an asset management masterclass.
While the NHL trade deadline is still a month away, the Western Conference arms race is well underway.
At first glance, this deal looks like a true win-win for two clubs on complete opposite ends of the standings.
Monahan is exactly the type of piece the Jets need if they’re serious about going on a legitimate Stanley Cup run. They have extended Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck on long-term contracts when it seemed they were all but gone after the season, so they can't settle for anything less than a Cup pursuit right now.
While Winnipeg’s depth has been lauded all year, they had a gaping hole on their forward depth chart between Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry — the second-line center spot.
Cole Perfetti was predicted to take hold of the spot, but Winnipeg didn’t stick to that experiment for long, and Perfetti has played wing all year. Vladislav Namestnikov, the ‘2C’ for most of the year, is a fine utility piece, and he’s looked good between Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers. But come playoff time, he’s probably most efficient in a bottom-six role.
Enter Monahan.
The 29-year-old has recorded 13 goals and 35 points in 49 games this season — putting him on pace for 21 goals and 56 points. The 6-foot-2 playmaking forward isn’t fast, but he’s got a knack for making net front plays and playing the bumper on the power play.
While Monahan probably won’t be as productive of a point producer on a contender as he was in Montreal — he’s probably closer to being a ‘3C’ than a surefire ‘2C,’ depending on who you ask — he does the little things right, too. Not only is Monahan winning 55 percent of his faceoffs this year, but according to Mike Kelly, who cites SportLogiq data, Monahan ranks second in stick checks and 29th in puck battle wins among NHL forwards this year.
From Montreal’s vantage point, this is another example of hockey operations executive VP Jeff Gorton and GM Kent Hughes pulling off some tidy business. Montreal acquired Monahan from the Calgary Flames in a salary cap dump that netted the Canadiens a first-round pick ahead of the 2022-23 season. While injuries limited Monahan last year, he still recorded 17 points in 25 games and re-upped with Montreal in the summer. He carried forward that momentum into this year, and the Habs were able to parlay that into another first-round pick. Now that is a masterclass in sharp asset management.
Winnipeg was never going to give away top-tier prospects — such as Rutger McGroarty, Ville Heinola, Brad Lambert or Elias Salomonsson — in a potential rental deal. It makes sense that Montreal opted for the first-rounder and a conditional mid-round pick instead of a C-level prospect as well.
With the Vancouver Canucks acquiring Elias Lindholm from the Flames on Wednesday night, the trade action hasn't disappointed so far.
