REPORT: MAJOR update about Sean Monahan - Habs fans are PISSED

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Ryan
December 2, 2022 (2:42 PM)

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The Montreal Canadiens made a trade with the Calgary Flames this past summer to bring in former 30 goal scorer Sean Monahan, so the Flames could get the contract off their books to sign Nazem Kadri.

Not only did they get Monahan, but the Calgary Flames threw in a 2025 first round pick to sweeten the deal.

After finishing in last place last season, the Montreal Canadiens were committed to a rebuild so they could become a team that could be a constant threat for the playoffs, not just one and done.

They were doing all the right things, they traded for Kirby Dach, a 21 year old former 3rd overall pick, made some great selections at the 2022 NHL draft and all the talk was about trading away players like Dadanov, Hoffman, Dvorak, Drouin and Anderson for picks and prospects in return. This all sounded amazing and it made it sounds like the Habs were moving in the right direction, which actually meant down the standings.

When they made the play for Monahan, it also sounded like it was a genius move by new GM Kent Hughes. Bring in this former star player, let him play some big minutes, retain some salary at the deadline and trade him away for even more assets.

Well, through 23 games this season Monahan has 5 goals and 16 points and it's looking like the plan was moving forward nicely, but then this bomb gets dropped by NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading:

The Habs have been impressed with him and what's happening right now is Canadiens' management are having the discussion of should we actually keep this guy? Could he be part of our plans moving forward? I still think it's more likely they move him, but the mere fact they're having that discussion is an interesting development.

While yes he has fit in very well with the team and keeping him definitely makes the team better, that is not the direction the team is supposed to be going in.

Here is a quote from a Habs fan who is now worried about the direction of the team:

He's 28, it's too late to keep him for a rebuild. Unless they're becoming buyers at the deadline. Which I'm seriously worried about. A minor amount of success, and bam, back to what the Habs have done my entire life.

Since the days of Guy Lafleur, the Habs have never been an elite team. With young Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield leading the way, they have a chance to truly build from the ground up, but if they just fall into the same old strategy of keeping players to stay a mid-tier team, fans are not going to be happy.