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Montreal Canadiens: Sean Monahan Will Be Replaced By Committee - A Blessing In Disguise

By Tyler Major-Mcnicol

New York Islanders v Montreal Canadiens
New York Islanders v Montreal Canadiens / Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages
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The Montreal Canadiens roster will look different with Sean Monahan gone to Winnipeg.

Replacing his production and the way he impacted the team is going to be a tall task. He left his mark on the game in an array of different ways; eating up important special teams minutes, sits atop the list. Faceoff wins, which spark zone starts and create more puck possession will be sorely missed also.

A drop off in play is expected, and yes he was just one player, but he was essentially a Swiss Army knife for the Canadiens. The veteran acted as a mentor to many of the Habs young, struggling players and was a coaches dream. And he also produced impressive numbers, despite playing the majority of his ice time with players less talented than him.

It was never in question by general managers seeking a top six pivot, whether Monahan made sense or not. To impact the game the way he did and leave an impression on his teammates the way he did, you can’t ask for a better player. Like Tyler Toffoli before him, Monahan is a player who was loved, but fell victim to the Habs rebuild. 

Unfortunately, the Canadiens are a handful of years behind where they need to be for it to be logical to keep these high-character veterans in the fold. It’s unfair for these players to stick around with Montreal and lose out on a Stanley Cup run. And for the team to be assembled properly, the veterans need to be used as bargaining chips; allowing the youth to play. 

The move has already caused a domino effect; resulting in Brandon Gignac earning a two-year two-way NHL contract. A result of his hard work and impressive play; leading the Laval Rocket in points with 14-28-42 in 43 games, a career-best. Luca Condotta was also called up before the NHL All-Star break and will remain with the team, at least until Alex Newhook is cleared to play.

With many new faces in the lineup, the Canadiens will get a good glimpse of their youth and just how well that their farm system has been developing players.

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