Canadiens News: Sean Monahan Dealt In Deal That Is Huge Win For Habs

The news that Montreal Canadiens fans have been impatiently waiting for has finally come. A stellar start to the season, savvy asset management, and an inflated market for center depth have netted the Habs a nice package in return for veteran center Monahan.

Monahan was first acquired by Kent Hughes in a move that even at the time was praised for its efficient use of salary cap space. With the stagnant increases in salary caps over the past decade, teams are now desperate enough to entice teams to take bad contracts off their books. This is precisely what the Calgary Flames signalled when they packaged a struggling, expensive, and chronically injured Monahan with a first-round selection to Montreal in exchange for the underwhelming performer: "future considerations." For information on the conditions surrounding that draft pick, click here.

If Monahan continued to struggle with injuries and stayed out of the Habs lineup, the trade still would have been a win on Hughes' resume. The acquisition of a first-round pick at the cost of cap space only is a dream outcome for any rebuilding team. Luckily for the Canadiens however, Monahan vastly exceeded those expectations.

Since that trade in the summer of 2022, Monahan has experienced somewhat of a career resurgence. In 84 games with le Tricolore, he potted 19 goals and 33 assists for 52 points, making him a tantalizing asset at his now humble $1.985M cap hit.

For those keeping track, Kent Hughes turned "future considerations" and some left-over cap space into not one, but two first-round draft picks, and possibly an extra third for good measure. Not only that, but we also got 84 games of strong center play, helping some of our young players come along in their development. That is some fine managerial work by the Habs front office.

Winnipeg's first-round pick might end up being a low selection, as they currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference standings. Still, this is a valuable asset, as shown by the Canadiens' track record with later draft picks like Lane Hutson.

Thank you, Sean, for your valiant service to the Habs. We fans wish you all the best in Winnipeg and beyond.