Montreal Canadiens: Three Potential Sean Monahan Trade Packages On Seller's Market

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are a Stanley Cup contender but are not without holes in their lineup. They rolled the dice on a couple of cheap top six options last summer and one has worked while the other has not.

The one that seems to be working is actually former Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin. After a slow start he is on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen and has been producing at a point per game pace for a while.

Meanwhile, Ryan Johansen has been gifted the opportunity to take over as the team's second line center but is struggling to put up points. The Avs signed him to a two year deal with a $4 million cap hit but he has just 18 points in 48 games this season. That will not cut it as a second line center on a Cup contender.

If the Canadiens offered to take Johansen's contract and give up Monahan, they would be in a position to ask for an incredible haul in return.

The Avalanche's best prospect is Calum Ritchie and he is tearing up the OHL with 41 points in 25 games with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. He was a first round pick last June and is a big right shooting center that is a terrific two-way player at the Junior level. He projects as a middle six centre that can do it all in the NHL and the Canadiens could obviously use a player like that in their system.

Ritchie is not quite among the very best prospects in the hockey world but he is making a case this season to be in the top 30. Taking on Johansen's contract for next season and giving up Monahan might be just what the Canadiens need to do to add a prospect of that magnitude.