Monahan dilemma, to sign or not to sign?

[Sorinth]

I would have no problem with trading him and then signing him. This way, you get to see the entire season including his playoff run with the new team. If he really likes it in Montreal, he will consider us as a UFA. If he signs somewhere else so be it.

If you sign him, you have to do it before the deadline. I'm not willing to go with a leap of faith he is who he is today for the next 3 or 4 years. I like what I see just as much as you and others do but it's on the premature side folks.

Signing Monahan is a Bergevin move IMO. It lacks long term vision and it's looking for short term gains. Take the late 1st if we are offered it. Late 1st could bust, could hit, or could be a depth guy. But the extra darts is important over the long haul. Stay the course!

Who said anything about signing him today? There's another 37 games to be played before you have to decide whether to sign or trade him. If he's healthy, productive, shows chemistry with Slafkovsky in those 37 games then sign him, if not then deal him for what you can get. There's no rush to make a decision.

This almost never works. Players typically view such trades as an affront and take them personally.

It's a fantasy so no matter what happens in the future they can pretend like they had it right all along.

 

[BaseballCoach]

100% Dude, I don‘t know why this is so hard for some people to grasp.

Because it has almost never happened. The only cases I can think of were guys over 35.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

This almost never works. Players typically view such trades as an affront and take them personally.

I expect in most cases they never intended to re sign with the team that traded them. If the Habs are out of contention at the trade deadline HuGo should ask Moneyhands if he wants to be moved to a contender or reup with the Habs. If it is the latter they discuss contract details. If the term or amount his agent asks for is too much then Hughes should just say here is the best deal I can offer. If you don't like it we will have to trade you.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Signing Monahan is a Bergevin move IMO. It lacks long term vision and it's looking for short term gains.

Maybe for some but for me, Monahan is a medium-term move, not short-term. If he continues to click with Slafkovsky, I think it's great to have a second line with scoring potential. In another year or two, we find a stud 2C and Monahan becomes a 3C, he will likely still bring way more than Dvorak or if we play him on the wing, more than Anderson. Sean is younger than Anderson and has missed less games to injury, believe it or not.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Maybe for some but for me, Monahan is a medium-term move, not short-term. If he continues to click with Slafkovsky, I think it's great to have a second line with scoring potential. In another year or two, we find a stud 2C and Monahan becomes a 3C, he will likely still bring way more than Dvorak or if we play him on the wing, more than Anderson. Sean is younger than Anderson and has missed less games to injury, believe it or not.

When you going to sign him? Right before the deadline? What's a good deal for you and one you think Monahan signs? 4 years at $5M? Risky if you ask me cause it's 25% of the season played and even if you sign him just before the deadline, it's still on the premature side.

This is a refresh season for Monahan. Expecting that to continue with no future risks while you don't take the futures is not a move I would make. There will be others we can sign in UFA who can play with Slaf.

Might be a moot point... Monahan might say he prefers to go to UFA (unless he gets overpayment to stay now).

 

[Habs Halifax]

Who said anything about signing him today? There's another 37 games to be played before you have to decide whether to sign or trade him. If he's healthy, productive, shows chemistry with Slafkovsky in those 37 games then sign him, if not then deal him for what you can get. There's no rush to make a decision.


It's a fantasy so no matter what happens in the future they can pretend like they had it right all along.

The word "if" has a meaning. Comprehend it better. Nowhere did I say we had to rush the decision

I do think Monahan is a good fit for Slaf (for now). Chemistry between them will not factor in the long term strategy with me.

 

[Sorinth]

The word "if" has a meaning. Comprehend it better. Nowhere did I say we had to rush the decision

I do think Monahan is a good fit for Slaf (for now). Chemistry between them will not factor in the long term strategy with me.

Except there's no if in what you want to see happen, you want him traded whether he stays healthy until TDL or not.

Regardless chemistry is a huge factor over the medium term. Having the right fit at center is a very important part of Slafkovsky's development over the next 2-3 years. If Monahan has it and leaves then it just adds to the risk of Slafkovsky not turning into the player we need him to become. Now we might not have much choice in the matter depending on what Monahan wants, but if he's reasonable with his ask then there's a lot of risk in saying no thanks we'll take the mystery box that might be something useful in 5 years.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Except there's no if in what you want to see happen, you want him traded whether he stays healthy until TDL or not.

Regardless chemistry is a huge factor over the medium term. Having the right fit at center is a very important part of Slafkovsky's development over the next 2-3 years. If Monahan has it and leaves then it just adds to the risk of Slafkovsky not turning into the player we need him to become. Now we might not have much choice in the matter depending on what Monahan wants, but if he's reasonable with his ask then there's a lot of risk in saying no thanks we'll take the mystery box that might be something useful in 5 years.

Slaf's development should not be tied to Monahan. I understand Slaf's development challenges. If Monahan likes Montreal and Montreal likes Monahan, talk to him as a UFA.

Maintaining draft power for the next few drafts is more important.

 

[sandviper]

This almost never works. Players typically view such trades as an affront and take them personally.

Depends though. We're a bottom team and Monahan would likely see a trade to a contender as an opportunity. Sure, if Monahan likes his new city after, or maybe would rather play elsewhere come July, so be it.

I get he'll take it personally if we ship him to say Arizona or Columbus, but I don't think he'll complain going to a contender like Toronto (hometown) or maybe to a real contender

 

[Sorinth]

Slaf's development should not be tied to Monahan. I understand Slaf's development challenges. If Monahan likes Montreal and Montreal likes Monahan, talk to him as a UFA.

Maintaining draft power for the next few drafts is more important.

Development of offensive players is tied to their linemates. So if they have chemistry and he's willing to re-sign around TDL then it's a big risk to trade him because finding a replacement or getting him to sign as a UFA isn't going to be easy and not finding a proper replacement likely hurts Slaf which hurts our rebuild.

 

[Rapala]

This question is one that can only be answered by how this next couple of months play out. My take is this. How important is Monahan to Suzuki's success and do we have anyone in the org able to fill that #2. I don't think Dach will be ready. Dvorak and Evans just forget it. Beck will be a raw rookie if he's able to make the team out of camp. Not to mention we still have a huge lack of talent on the wings so Dach needs to stay put until that is addressed.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

This almost never works. Players typically view such trades as an affront and take them personally.

Yeah, that might be true in general when there are many years of service and a sense of belonging, but this is really not the case here. That's a probable reaction when Calgary traded him.

Monahan is probably no dummy. He understands where he was traded, the reasons he was traded, how he was traded (sacrificing a 1st to get rid of him) and the outlook that comes with it, which is that this team won't make the playoffs and since he's a pending UFA, there's a high likelyhood he will be traded. A negative reaction to this would be kinda childish.

It's as if players who are constantly told by their agents how this is a business and they have to be paid their worth, yet on the other hand be completely blind to the reality of having a first attached to yourself in a trade that sends you to the league's worst team for your last contract year.

Also, it's as if Hughes can't sit down and talk to him and any outcome is an emotionally driven Bergevin catastrophy like the way he dealt with Radulov and Markov, or Gallagher at the other extreme.

There are ways to convey the inevitability of Monahan's situation without turning it into a negative event.

 

[Notabaguette]

Trade him and sign Dubois

 

[Habs Halifax]

Development of offensive players is tied to their linemates. So if they have chemistry and he's willing to re-sign around TDL then it's a big risk to trade him because finding a replacement or getting him to sign as a UFA isn't going to be easy and not finding a proper replacement likely hurts Slaf which hurts our rebuild.

Slaf's development won't be hurt if we trade Monahan. If the 1st is offered, take it. Explore other options to find a center for Slaf to play with.

 

[Harry Wong]

2 repaired Labrums is always inferior to 2 Labrums the way God made them.. Value is high now. Sell!

 

[Habs Halifax]

Trade him and sign Dubois

One option yes! No way we should be emotional attached to Monahan and not take the late 1st if we are offered it.

 

[Sorinth]

Slaf's development won't be hurt if we trade Monahan. If the 1st is offered, take it. Explore other options to find a center for Slaf to play with.

It all depends on who the replacement is, and assuming you can just find a good top-6 C is a terrible plan.

 

[Habs Halifax]

It all depends on who the replacement is, and assuming you can just find a good top-6 C is a terrible plan.

Move Dach back to center and play Slaf with him or move Slaf with Suzuki/Caufield. We value Monahan but if the late 1st is offered, take it.

Explore other options.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Slaf's development should not be tied to Monahan. I understand Slaf's development challenges. If Monahan likes Montreal and Montreal likes Monahan, talk to him as a UFA.

Maintaining draft power for the next few drafts is more important.

"Maintaining" (maximizing?) draft power is important but not the sole and unique goal.

We have to keep some vets around. if we bet on Monahan, then we trade Dvorak and maybe Anderson too. Either way, one or two of the three, PLUS Eddy, Dadonov, Savard, Armia and Hoffman, should be traded for futures, whether great or small depending on the player.

 

[Habs Halifax]

"Maintaining" (maximizing?) draft power is important but not the sole and unique goal.

We have to keep some vets around. if we bet on Monahan, then we trade Dvorak and maybe Anderson too. Either way, one or two of the three, PLUS Eddy, Dadonov, Savard, Armia and Hoffman, should be traded for futures, whether great or small depending on the player.

We will keep vets around but if Toffoli can be traded, so can Monahan. Draft power over a span of years is one the most important goals. I would not brush that under the rug.

What we all agree is we value Monahan. A 100% healthy Monahan gives us Danault value up the middle. I get it. But the timing is not right bud

 

[BaseballCoach]

We will keep vets around but if Toffoli can be traded, so can Monahan. Draft power over a span of years is one the most important goals. I would not brush that under the rug.

What we all agree is we value Monahan. A 100% healthy Monahan gives us Danault value up the middle. I get it. But the timing is not right bud

A 100% healhy Monahan gives us more than Danault, and a year and a half younger.

Timing may not be right, though, if Sean wamts big money or super-long term. Hughes can decide in February once he knows what Sean wants and how he has done in 50 games.

 

[Habs Halifax]

A 100% healhy Monahan gives us more than Danault, and a year and a half younger.

Timing may not be right, though, if Sean wamts big money or super-long term. Hughes can decide in February once he knows what Sean wants and how he has done in 50 games.

In my books, Danault and Monahan are close. Both are very good 200' centers but not exactly the same type of players. Monahan may have slightly better offensive skills but Danault is the better skater (even with Monahan 100%)

We can only guess as fans. For all we know we are offered 2nd rounders and B+ prospect and Monahan is willing to sign for 3 years at $4M. How much does he really like it in Montreal? Not sure but once again, if the late 1st if offered, I'm taking it.

 

[BaseballCoach]

if the late 1st if offered, I'm taking it.

Me too, if Sean wants more than $5.5M per for three-four years. Also, if we can get a first for Anderson, I would trade him first and let Sean be the 28 year old vet forward we keep.

I want to accumlate legit first round talent, and don't think 28 is too old.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Me too, if Sean wants more than $5.5M per for three-four years. Also, if we can get a first for Anderson, I would trade him first and let Sean be the 28 year old vet forward we keep.

I want to accumlate legit first round talent, and don't think 28 is too old.

Age 28 today won't be part of our core in 5 years. 28 in 5 years will. That's the difference

 

[BaseballCoach]

Age 28 today won't be part of our core in 5 years. 28 in 5 years will. That's the difference

Most teams that won the Cup in the last 6 years (at least) had multiple players over 30 and several over 32, even 38 sometimes. I posted all the lists.

A four year extension means Monahan plays here at ages 29-30-31-32. Soooooo not "too old".