Canadiens: Biggest Surprises of the 2022-23 Season

Alright, hear me out on this one. I think a lot of people would classify Monahan’s season as disappointing due entirely to the fact that he was injured for almost the entire season. And that’s fair. He got hurt in early December and never returned. But I included him for one reason in particular. When he was playing, I was shocked at how good he looked on the ice. Generally speaking, when you pay the steep price of a first-round pick just to get rid of a player, the expectations for them are about as low as they possibly can be. And that remained true for Monahan.

Calgary needed to move Monahan, even if it cost them a first, a move that looked good in the short term, as Monahan’s injury troubles remained a problem in Montreal. We’ll see if that remains a good move by Calgary in the long term. Still, to start the season, Monahan looked healthy, and he looked good. With 17 points in 25 games, Monahan appeared to be finding a groove before his season-ending injury. Had he played a whole season, he wouldn’t be just an honourable mention.

Of course, he didn’t play an entire season, but at least for most, I think expectations were low for Monahan. I know I didn’t expect the Canadiens to get much out of him. So I did want to acknowledge him for the brief amount of hockey he did play this year. At one point, he was playing so well there was legitimate hope the Canadiens could receive significant compensation for him, on top of the first-rounder they got by taking on his contract. I don’t know what Monahan’s future in Montreal will look like, as he’s not under contract for next season. The Habs may bring him back, I just hope if he does return to the ice next year, he can finally have a healthy season.