Monahan dilemma, to sign or not to sign?

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Should Hughes trade as many players as he can if they all get 1sts? What if he can get 1sts for each of Edmundson, Savard, Monahan, Dvorak with retention, and Anderson? Should he trade all five?

If you can get firsts for all these guys, you sure have tons of flexibility. I also doubt this is reality but we can dream.

 

[Runner77]

I hope it's minor. We will see. If they feel it will linger on... rest him till the home game against the Ducks (next Thursday).

There’s a lot of mileage and several major surgeries on that body. This injury is but a snapshot of what it’s likely going to be for him, for any team that wants to commit long term. He’s a trading priority for me, for those obvious reasons — just too much downside risk.

 

[Kennerback]

I love Monahan, I didn’t know I would. One of the biggest surprise this season. I hope pro scouts around the league notice the same thing as Habs fans… I would trade him if we can get honest value for him. I wouldn’t dump him against a third rank prospect and a late pick.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

A contender's first is from 25th to lower. A high first rounder come from a team like us. Why they want him ? That is the reason why we have to keep him.

So only 8 teams contend for the playoffs?

A sell on Monahan can go anywhere between the 16th and 32nd pick because it's simply not just the top 8 teams who will try to upgrade for the playoffs.

Narrative failed. It's a strong draft and we are not competing.

 

[Lolonegoal]

A lot depends on his demands. I'd prefer extension over trade but if he's looking for a long-term security (5+ years), it's better to trade him.

This absolutely. If the guy wants a 1 or 2 year test contract I'd sign it for sure. You gotta let him go if he wants multi years, though, so hopefully they find out what he wants so they can deal him if its the latter.

 

[BaseballCoach]

This absolutely. If the guy wants a 1 or 2 year test contract I'd sign it for sure. You gotta let him go if he wants multi years, though, so hopefully they find out what he wants so they can deal him if its the latter.

Multi years like 3-4 I would go for if the AAV is not higher than Anderson's.

We can't be afraid to invest in talent so long as the term is not too long.

Monahan is not Byron, Armia, Hoffman or 29 year old Gallagher. He is what we wanted Dvorak to be and much more, while being younger than Anderson.

Should Hughes trade as many players as he can if they all get 1sts? What if he can get 1sts for each of Edmundson, Savard, Monahan, Dvorak with retention, and Anderson? Should he trade all five?

I don't think that is Hugo's vision. They don't want the incoming talent to be limited to players who are 16 or 17 right now.

 

[Sorinth]

That’s not to say trade everyone over 25 so there are none left, but to take good offers on pretty much any of them. Pretty much all of them are quite available.

Lots of teams have tanked. A few quite intentionally. Some of those have come out well. I think the habs are doing well so far but they need another high pick or two. Teams like the avs, pens, and lightning got good after a series of high picks, not just one and back to competitive hockey.

Lots of teams "tank" in the sense that they are out of the playoffs and sell some guy, but the guys they sell are pretty much always guys who have no plan to re-sign and are going to test the market. But I can't think of an example of teams who traded away a good player in their 20s who wanted to stay, and then went on to be a contending team. I can give you plenty of examples of teams who were still very much in their rebuild years and still would go out and sign their good players and/or top UFAs and became contenders/winners.

Now we don't really have any idea if Monahan wants to stay, or if his contract demands are reasonable. If the answer to either is no then we of course should sell him.

 

[Sorinth]

I've already seen it mentioned, but next summer is probably our last opportunity to capitalize on cap space before the cap goes up.

Some teams will once again end up against the cap and unload decent players at a premium.

Hurricanes were able to build a pretty competitive team thanks in part to those type of trades.

Whether we sign Monahan or not we would still be in a good place cap wise to absorb another big contract. So it's not something that should impact the decision on Monahan one way or the other.

 

[Habs Halifax]

There’s a lot of mileage and several major surgeries on that body. This injury is but a snapshot of what it’s likely going to be for him, for any team that wants to commit long term. He’s a trading priority for me, for those obvious reasons — just too much downside risk.

I can't argue with that cause it might be probable. I prefer (might be a dream) to trade him for a 20+ 1st and then try to sign him for 2 or 3 years in the off season.... something around $4M or $4.5M. Then trade Dvorak at a later date.

 

[Essenege]

We have this false premise that we’re in a cap crunch in the years to come or something.

Caufield Will sign his LT 7.5M 8 years contract, but after that…

We have a cost controlled defence with 3 players on ELC and Kovacevic. Harris and AX should sign reasonable bridge contracts when they renew. A few overpaid players coming off the books in the next 3 years (Dadonov/Drouin, Hoffman, date I say Eddy)

As long as the contract we sign with Monahan has positive value and is tradeable, it’s a no brainer to extend. 4 years of Monahan at current level is more valuable then a late 1st, which has only marginal chance of attaining Monahan current level of play. And we can always ask a first in a few years if we’re still not competing.

Would he sign something like 4y @ 5M? I think no team gives him 6 to 8 years because of his injuries history.

 

[Habs Halifax]

So only 8 teams contend for the playoffs?

A sell on Monahan can go anywhere between the 16th and 32nd pick because it's simply not just the top 8 teams who will try to upgrade for the playoffs.

Narrative failed. It's a strong draft and we are not competing.

I think he meant cup contenders, not playoff contenders. Teams who are playoff chasing can trade their 1st but it's less probable vs the real top end contenders for the cup.

 

[Sorinth]

We have this false premise that we’re in a cap crunch in the years to come or something.

Caufield Will sign his LT 7.5M 8 years contract, but after that…

We have a cost controlled defence with 3 players on ELC and Kovacevic. Harris and AX should sign reasonable bridge contracts when they renew. A few overpaid players coming off the books in the next 3 years (Dadonov/Drouin, Hoffman, date I say Eddy)

As long as the contract we sign with Monahan has positive value and is tradeable, it’s a no brainer to extend. 4 years of Monahan at current level is more valuable then a late 1st, which has only marginal chance of attaining Monahan current level of play. And we can always ask a first in a few years if we’re still not competing.

Would he sign something like 4y @ 5M? I think no team gives him 6 to 8 years because of his injuries history.

Yeah capwise we are in very good shape starting this summer. Even giving Caufield a big number and re-signing Monahan we would have something like 4-5m, and that doesn't factor in the 1-2m rise the cap will likely have or the likely trade one of Edmundson or Savard so it's going to be even higher then that. Then going forward you have Hoffman and then Armia coming off the books in consequtive years to go alongside a rising cap so there will be plenty of room for the young guys like Slaf, Ghule, etc...

So we have room to make another Monahan style trade where we get paid to take on a bad contract if we want, though I suspect Hughes would be more interested in acquiring someone to actually help move the team forward.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I think he meant cup contenders, not playoff contenders. Teams who are playoff chasing can trade their 1st but it's less probable vs the real top end contenders for the cup.

I know what he meant. My reaction was sarcastic.

Less probable? Hardly. It's more dependant on the philosophies of the GMs involved and the objectives of the owner. Some teams at the top stay pat and don't seek to buy, while the 12th seed might just be as hungry as one of the buyers from the top.

It's a ridiculous reduction to pretend a market for Monahan can yeild no more than a 25th.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Less probable? Hardly. It's more dependant on the philosophies of the GMs involved and the objectives of the owner. Some teams at the top stay pat and don't seek to buy, while the 12th seed might just be as hungry as one of the buyers from the top.

It's a ridiculous reduction to pretend a market for Monahan can yeild no more than a 25th.

It's less probable IMO. Wish I had the time to evaluate the last 5 seasons in terms of who trades their 1st heading to the deadline. I'm willing to bet that it's mostly the top 8 or 10 teams.

Monahan is a pending UFA. If he stays healthy as we approach the deadline, there will be lots of teams who call. I prefer to say 20+ 1st vs 25+ and it's likely there is another add.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

It's less probable IMO. Wish I had the time to evaluate the last 5 seasons in terms of who trades their 1st heading to the deadline. I'm willing to bet that it's mostly the top 8 or 10 teams.

Monahan is a pending UFA. If he stays healthy as we approach the deadline, there will be lots of teams who call. I prefer to say 20+ 1st vs 25+ and it's likely there is another add.

The last 5 years would be too small a sample and a bad one to boot because of covid.

 

[Habs Halifax]

The last 5 years would be too small a sample and a bad one to boot because of covid.

Sure, make it 10. Do you have the time to gather that up? I don't.

 

[Chet-Nick]

Old cliche, if the price is right ... trade him.

This is pretty much shared opinion. Go back over the last 2-3 trade deadlines and you'll see how many GMs grossly overpaid for their acquisitions.

I love nagging the Toronto fans occasionally about Dubas giving Columbus a 1st rounder for Foligno. lol

Look what Montreal received for Chiarot. Liked the guy. Plays with a purpose. Hughes/Gorton took advantage of a GM (Zito) who wanted to overpay for a rugged defenseman.