The Montreal Canadiens were expected to trade Sean Monahan pretty much since the beginning of the season.
With the team expected to miss the playoffs and Monahan being a useful veteran who was on an expiring contract, it just seemed inevitbale he would be moved on to a contending team before the trade deadline.
The only questions were how soon would he be dealt, and what kind of a package could the Canadiens expect in return for the 29 year old?
Well, Monahan played well this season, scoring 13 goals and 35 points in 49 games. That was enough to warrant the Winnipeg Jets to offer a first round pick for Monahan and the Canadiens pulled the trigger during the All Star break to add another excellent asset to the organization that should help with the rebuilding process.
The Jets pick is obviously not going to be a top one in the first round. Right now they are the sixth best team in the NHL standings, which means the pick should be around 27th overall if the NHL Draft were to be held tonight. Of course, that can all change based on playoff success and how the team finishes the regular season which still has about 30 games to go for each team.
If the Jets make a run to the Western Conference Final, the pick will be among the final four in the first round. If they lose in the first two rounds it would be earlier, depending on whether they win their division or where they end up in the final standings.
The Jets are in a tight battle in the Central Division with the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche battling them for the top spot. The pick could realistically end up being anywhere from 20th to 32nd, but the real question is what are the Canadiens intentions with the pick?
Let's take a look at their three options.