Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Sean Monahan

Afternoon Notes: Monahan, Thompson, Merzlikins

at CDT | by 4 Comments

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on TSN Insider Trading that he believes Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan could be one of the first players moved before the NHL trade deadline. The Canadiens and Monahan struck an agreement on a one-year contract last summer with the understanding that the team would move Monahan to a contending team during the season when the time was right.

For his part, Monahan has been having a decent year and is healthy for the first time in a while. The Brampton, Ontario native has dressed in 41 games and has registered 11 goals and 13 assists while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time a game. The seven-time 20-goal scorer hasn’t topped the 20-goal mark since the 2019-20 season but is on pace for a 22-goal campaign. His contract will also be one of the easier deals to move as he is counting just $2MM against the Canadiens salary cap this season.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 in Buffalo is reporting that Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson is undergoing imaging today for an undisclosed injury. Thompson was on a mission in last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators as he scored two goals before his exit from the game. He did take a high stick in the second period that forced him to briefly leave the bench, but he did return after that before leaving a second time. Thompson missed a few weeks with a hand injury earlier in the season and was just rounding into form in recent weeks. In 32 games this season, the Phoenix, Arizona native has 14 goals and 13 assists. Sabres head coach Don Granato did tell reporters that Thompson could play tomorrow, meaning that whatever is bothering the 26-year-old may not be too serious, but time will tell.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins commented to the media today that he has not asked the team for a trade, however, he would like the team to find a new scenario for him and the team has agreed with that. What that means is unclear, but Merzlikins did tell reporters that he is not a backup goaltender, something that he is in line to be tomorrow night when the Blue Jackets take on the Seattle Kraken. If Columbus does go the trade route with Merzlikins, it will not be the easiest move to make as the 29-year-old is in the second year of a five-year $27MM contract and has a ten-team no-trade list. Couple his contract, with his uneven play over the past two and a half years and it will be a difficult transaction for the Blue Jackets to make.

Canadiens Notes: Savard, Lindström, Monahan

at CDT | by 2 Comments

On an extraordinarily young Montreal Canadiens blueline, veteran David Savard has played a crucial role. The defensive stability he provides on the ice has paved the way for Mike Matheson to play the best hockey of his career, and his 21:26 time-on-ice (including a team-leading 3:40 per game short-handed) has helped the Canadiens achieve a better-than-expected start. But despite how much value he is delivering to Montreal, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels writes in his most recent mailbag that the Canadiens are “going to have to seriously consider moving” Savard “in short order.”

The rationale behind trading Savard is twofold: first and foremost, he could very well return a premium draft pick or prospect due to his quality play, the fact that he’s a Stanley Cup-winning right-shot defenseman, and the fact that he’s affordable for the rest of this season and under team control for $3.5MM for 2024-25. Additionally, the emergence of Jayden Struble combined with the need to re-integrate Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj into the NHL lineup means trading Savard would clear room needed by those players. And it would also be useful with an eye to the team signing top prospect Lane Hutson after his NCAA season concludes. So while Savard is an extremely important defenseman for the Canadiens now, it appears his days in Montreal could be numbered.

Some other notes regarding the 24-time Stanley Cup Champions:

  • Since the Canadiens’ upcoming defensive logjam could very well cause David Savard to be traded, it also indicates that Gustav Lindström is unlikely to maintain his spot on the NHL roster with the Canadiens for much longer. According to Engels, the Canadiens are likely to waive or trade Lindström whenever Harris returns. The 25-year-old was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings this offseason and has scored four points in 14 games, averaging 15:16 time-on-ice per game. He has played four games for the AHL’s Laval Rocket this season and could soon become available to the rest of the NHL once again.
  • Up front, the number-one Canadiens trade candidate is center Sean Monahan. It must be said that a significant factor impacting Monahan’s trade future is his health, as the seven-time 20-plus goal scorer has suffered significant injuries in recent years. According to Engels, the Canadiens have not yet “concretely discussed an extension” with Monahan, and he could be one of the top forwards available on the market come trade deadline season.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens

at CDT | by 8 Comments

As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Montreal Canadiens.

Who are the Canadiens thankful for?

Mike Matheson

Mike Matheson has had a tale of two careers.

He was good in his first few seasons in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, showcasing his terrific skating and his ability to carry the puck out of the defensive zone. But shortly after signing an eight-year extension the warts in his game began to show and he became a lightning rod for criticism in the Sunshine State.

It wasn’t long after that Matheson was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Colton Sceviour for Patric Hornqvist. Matheson was able to rehabilitate his game and looked like a good fit with the Penguins long-term. However, Penguins general manager Ron Hextall inexplicably wanted to change up the Penguins’ defense and in one day bulldozed his defense core by trading John Marino to New Jersey and Matheson to the Canadiens. Both trades have been a disaster for the Penguins, but the Matheson one stings for several reasons.

Since coming over to Montreal, the 29-year-old Matheson has dressed in 79 games, during that time he has 13 goals and 42 assists and has averaged almost 25 minutes a night in ice-time. He has been a catalyst for the Canadiens offense, and a mentor to many of Montreal’s young defensemen.

Although he has dealt with some injury issues, Matheson has been a driving force for the Canadiens and one that should continue to be an important piece for them in the coming seasons.

What are the Canadiens thankful for?

The Jeff Petry trades.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens made a trade back in July 2022 that sent defenseman Matheson to Pittsburgh in exchange for veteran defenseman Petry and Ryan Poehling. It was a questionable trade at the time for the Penguins as they were giving up a much younger defenseman for a 36-year-old defender with an inflated cap hit. A year after the deal, it’s safe to say that the trade was an absolute heist by the Canadiens. Jeff Petry has been traded twice since the original trade and Poehling was non-tendered and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Petry was traded by the Penguins to the Canadiens this past August in a move that Pittsburgh had to make to facilitate the Erik Karlsson trade. The Penguins traded Petry, goalie Casey DeSmith, forward Nathan Legare and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick. Hoffman was then moved to the Sharks and Pitlick has toiled in the AHL.

The trade was a great move for Montreal to acquire two futures while unloading two bad contracts. But they weren’t done yet. The Canadiens then traded Petry to the Detroit Red Wings for little-used defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2025. Finally, Montreal was able to complete the trade tree by shipping DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks for Tanner Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick.

When all was said and done, the Canadiens were able to turn Pitlick, Hoffman, and a retained salary on Petry into Legare, Pearson, Lindstrom, and three 2025 draft picks. It was a creative move by Montreal, that will help them continue to build up their farm system or allow them to acquire additional players should they be more of a contending team in 2025.

What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?

A Josh Anderson resurgence.

Many critics panned the Canadiens’ trade for Anderson back in October 2020 and for good reason, the trade was followed by the announcement of a seven-year $38.5MM extension that seemed like a massive overpay. In hindsight, it probably was, given that Anderson is carrying a $5.5MM cap hit and hasn’t come close to the 47 points he put up during the 2018-19 season. Since joining Montreal, Anderson has topped out at 32 points (twice), but he did have 40 goals over the two seasons before the start of the 2023-24 season.

This year has seen Anderson struggle more than he has in previous seasons. Through 31 games, the 29-year-old has just four goals and five assists and has been a drag on almost everyone he has played with this season. It’s been a frustrating season for the Burlington, Ontario native, one that he has acknowledged publicly. Just two nights ago, Anderson had an incredible game against the New York Islanders in which he scored two goals and was named the first star of the game. Afterwards, during a post-game interview, Anderson was serenaded by the Canadiens faithful and seemed genuinely humbled by the applause. With any luck, Anderson can use the game to catapult himself back to the heights he experienced when he put up 27 goals with the Columbus Blue Jackets five years ago.

If he can get back to his game, it could go a long way to the Canadiens making an unlikely push for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.

What should be on the Canadiens holiday wish list?

A goal-scoring forward.

The Canadiens forwards need to score more as they rank near the bottom of the NHL in goals and are currently on pace to not have a single 25-goal scorer. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki both registered 26 goals last year but have just eight each thus far through 31 games, while Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher are far removed from the back-to-back 30-goal seasons, they each enjoyed from 2017-2019.

The Canadiens need a game-breaker, which is much easier said than done. Most teams are looking for this type of scorer and they are almost impossible to acquire in today’s NHL. The Canadiens do have a surplus of young defensemen they could choose to trade from, but they would need to find a trading partner that is interested in trading away one of the most coveted pieces in today’s NHL.

The Canadiens have been patient with their rebuild and have made some savvy moves to acquire good young prospects and defensive depth. At some point in the near future, they are going to have to take a risk on an offensively gifted forward. Whether that happens via trade or free agency remains to be seen but they will need to acquire a forward that can put the puck in the net.

Atlantic Notes: Sabres, Monahan, Zacha, Giordano

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There is some good news and some bad news on the injury front for the Sabres.  Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald notes that wingers Alex Tuch (hamstring) and Jordan Greenway (upper body) could suit up later on in Buffalo’s road trip next week.  Both players landed on injured reserve last weekend.  Tuch has started to get going offensively in recent weeks, collecting 12 points in 13 games since the start of November while Greenway remains quiet at the offensive end with just seven points in 21 games so far in his first full season with Buffalo.

Meanwhile, the news isn’t as good for Zemgus Girgensons.  Hoppe relays that the forward has not progressed in his recovery from his lower-body injury.  Head coach Don Granato indicated the initial expectation was that he’d be out for about another week but it appears the Sabres will be without the long-time checker for at least a little longer than that.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Canadiens center Sean Monahan reached his $15K bonus by playing in his 26th game of the year against Los Angeles on Thursday, relays Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. That brings his total compensation for the season to an even $2MM.  Monahan opted for this one-year deal last spring, electing to stay in Montreal where he had early success before multiple injuries ended his year.  So far, he has stayed healthy and indicated to Cowan that he’d love to sign a long-term deal to stick with the Canadiens.  If that doesn’t happen, he’ll likely be one of the more prominent rentals to keep an eye closer to the trade deadline, as long as he isn’t injured at the time.
  • The Bruins announced (Twitter link) that center Pavel Zacha suffered an upper-body injury in today’s game against Arizona and did not return. The injury occurred at some point during the first period.  The 26-year-old had 57 points in 82 games last year, his first campaign with the Bruins.  Zacha has produced at a similar clip this season, posting 19 points in 25 contests heading into today’s action.
  • Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano skated before practice today, notes David Alter of The Hockey News (Twitter link). It’s the first time he has skated since suffering a thumb injury late last month.  The 40-year-old is averaging nearly 18 minutes a night so far this season and with Toronto missing some other blueliners, they’ll certainly be looking forward to getting him back.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Ehlers, Barlow, Smith

at CDT | by 3 Comments

After losing 167 games to injury last season, CapFriendly reports that the Montreal Canadiens have officially activated Cole Caufield, Sean Monahan, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Arber Xhekaj from the injured reserve today. All four returning players are favorable for the Canadiens, each providing value in their own way, but Montreal has some serious work to do in cutting down its roster at the end of training camp. With Caufield, Monahan, and Slafkovsky officially back in the mix, the Canadiens have approximately 17 forwards ready for NHL minutes, give or take a few. There is still plenty of time for General Manager Kent Hughes to make a move or two to thin out the roster, but Montreal realistically will have to use the waiver wire at the beginning of the season to make the necessary room. Caufield, being the most significant return for the Canadiens, is poised for another stellar season, especially in the goal-scoring department. Finishing 26th in total scoring during the 2022-23 NHL season, none of the blame should be put on Caufield. Last year, only playing in 46 total games before shoulder surgery ended his season early, scored 26 goals, a 46-goal pace over a full season. Other injury notes:

  • The Winnipeg Jets will have to wait a bit longer to get one of its best players and one of its best prospects back on the ice for training camp. In a report from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, head coach of the Jets, Rick Bowness states that forward Nikolaj Ehlers will miss this weekend’s on-ice sessions due to neck spasms, and recently signed 2023 first-round pick, Colby Barlow, would skate in limited action due to an undisclosed illness. Bowness relays that neither player is expected to miss significant time.
  • Amongst the longer-term injury news from the day, the Anaheim Ducks have announced via a press release that prospect Konnor Smith will miss between two-four weeks due to a fractured hand, an injury he sustained during the Rookie Faceoff tournament. Smith was the Ducks’ fourth-round pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, recently playing for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, scoring three goals and 12 assists in 65 games last year.

Montreal Canadiens Extend Sean Monahan

at CDT | by 9 Comments

After impressing in the early part of the season, Sean Monahan will run it back with the Montreal Canadiens next year. The veteran center has signed a one-year, $1.985MM contract to return in 2023-24. Chris Johnston of North Star Bets adds that the deal has a $15,000 bonus if he plays a certain number of games, which could take it to $2MM total.

Acquired from the Calgary Flames, along with a conditional first-round pick for essentially nothing (future considerations don’t really mean anything), Monahan was a relatively low-risk gamble for the Canadiens. Montreal wasn’t expected to challenge for the playoffs, so even if Monahan’s injury history reared its ugly head and he was a financial anchor, it wouldn’t change things.

Things actually got off to an incredible start, with Monahan showing well coming back from hip surgery. He had 17 points in 25 games and appeared to be a trade chip for the Canadiens to dangle at the deadline.

Then, in early December, he suffered a foot injury that took him out of the lineup. While rehabbing, Monahan suffered a groin injury, which eventually shut him down for the rest of the year after surgery.

That long, varied medical history makes him such an enigma. There has always been talent in Monahan, with three 30-goal seasons under his belt. He reached a career-high of 82 points in 2018-19, but things would soon come crashing down to earth.

Since that season, he has just 116 points in 210 games. In Calgary, he quickly went from a top-line option to someone lucky to get 14 minutes a night in the bottom six. This could be a huge win for the Canadiens if he can rediscover his early-career success.

Still just 28, Monahan will try to use this contract as a springboard to show he’s still a capable NHL talent. Montreal, meanwhile, can use him as a trade chip again, or determine if he’s more of a long-term fit. Either way, the risk of a one-year deal under $2MM is minimal.

Canadiens Notes: Montembeault, Hart, Monahan, Galipeau

at CDT | by 1 Comment

A year ago, Samuel Montembeault was just getting through his first full NHL season, one that didn’t go all that well with the Canadiens finishing dead last.  As a result, he didn’t have much leverage in contract talks, ultimately signing a two-year, $2MM deal, one that takes him straight to UFA eligibility in 2024.  Now, following an improved campaign and a strong showing at the World Championship last month, his trajectory is on the upswing.  The 26-year-old is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st and speaking with reporters earlier this week (video link), GM Kent Hughes indicated that he’s open to trying to work out a new deal quickly with his netminder.  Montembeault posted a 3.42 GAA with a .901 SV% in 40 games this season so his next contract shouldn’t break the bank but he has positioned himself to at least double his $1MM AAV whenever he signs his next deal.

More from Montreal:

  • Among the ongoing Carter Hart trade speculation, there have been suggestions that the Canadiens could be interested in acquiring the 24-year-old but Marc-Antoine Godin and Arpon Basu of The Athletic report (subscription link) that this is not the case. Instead, it appears they’ll retain their tandem from this season with veteran Jake Allen joining Montembeault while prospect Cayden Primeau will also jockey for playing time as he is now waiver-eligible.
  • In his latest podcast (video link), Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and TSN notes that there have been discussions about the possibility of Montreal bringing back center Sean Monahan next season. The Canadiens picked up a future first-round pick to take on his contract from Calgary back in August and the 28-year-old did fairly well early in the season, picking up 17 points in 25 games before a variety of injuries ended his season.  Monahan is eligible to sign a contract with performance bonuses this summer as long as it’s a one-year agreement and if he’s willing to do so, he could garner some interest from cap-strapped teams looking for short-term help as well.
  • Olivier Galipeau will remain with Montreal’s farm team next season as their affiliate in Laval announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a one-year, one-way AHL contract. The 26-year-old started the season in the ECHL and was quite productive with 15 points in 19 games before being recalled for the rest of the year to Laval where he put up nine points in 45 contests.

Sean Monahan, Alex Belzile Out For Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Injury news continues to pile up for the Montreal Canadiens, who announced Monday that forwards Alex Belzile (link) and Sean Monahan (link) have been shut down for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

Belzile’s campaign comes to an end after sustaining a fractured leg in Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The minor-league veteran had played in every game for Montreal since being recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on February 9, a testament to how injuries have ravaged Montreal’s forward depth this year. He finishes the season with career highs in points and games played, recording 14 in 31. The 31-year-old also scored 26 points in 31 games with Laval, where he served as captain. He’s slated for unrestricted free agency in July.

Monahan’s groin surgery shows he sustained a separate injury on top of the foot injury that had kept him out of the lineup since December 5. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that Monahan’s groin surgery happened “sometime in the last few days,” and his recovery timeline is six to eight weeks. He’s expected to fully recover in time for training camp next season.

Also set for free agency this offseason, Monahan was productive in the early goings of the season, showing flashes of top-six upside once again. With 17 points in 25 games, he’ll find a home in the NHL again next season, whether with Montreal or somewhere else. Injury concerns remain, though, likely limiting his earning potential on any new contract.

Injury News: Monahan, Cernak, Carrier, Bjorkstrand

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

One veteran that wasn’t on the move yesterday was Canadiens center Sean Monahan.  Speaking at his post-deadline press conference (video link), GM Kent Hughes indicated that the 28-year-old suffered another injury while rehabbing his foot injury, one that has no timeline for a return.  However, it’s possible that he’s able to return this season.  Monahan has been out since early December and was off to a nice start with Montreal with 17 points in his first 25 games.  Unfortunately for him, this extended absence coupled with hip injuries the past two seasons certainly won’t help his cause as he gets set to hit the open market for the first time this summer.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • The Lightning announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Erik Cernak is listed as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old left Thursday’s game early but he did take the warmup prior to today’s contest against Buffalo so it would appear that he won’t be out too long.  Cernak has a goal and ten assists in 53 games so far this season while logging over 19 minutes a night on their back end.
  • Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier will miss the next four-to-six weeks due to an upper-body injury, notes Alex Daugherty of AtoZ Sports Nashville (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has dealt with multiple upper-body injuries this season with this most recent one being sustained on Thursday against Florida.  A pending restricted free agent, Carrier has just nine points in 43 games this season after putting up 30 in 77 contests in 2021-22.
  • Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand’s return to Columbus last night was shortened as Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times relays that the veteran suffered a lower-body injury in the third period and did not return. No update was available following the game.  Bjorkstrand got off to a slow start this season but has been better since the calendar turned to 2023, collecting 17 points in 28 games since the beginning of January.

East Notes: Jensen/Gustafsson, Chychrun, Monahan

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Washington Capitals have some decisions to make regarding their defensive corps, as reported by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Twitter. The team has been in contract talks with pending unrestricted free agent defensemen Nick Jensen and Erik Gustafsson; however, given the fact they were in negotiations with Dmitry Orlov before trading him to the Boston Bruins yesterday, it’s no guarantee that Jensen and Gustafsson remain Capitals through the trade deadline.

General manager Brian MacLellan essentially deemed his team a seller with the Orlov trade, as Washington now sits at the back of the pack regarding the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. Jensen and Gustafsson are valuable role players who could fetch decent deadline returns, but they’d also hold value for future seasons in Washington. Injuries have taken an enormous toll on the team, pushing them toward the back of the conference, and they’ve vowed to remain competitive while Alex Ovechkin chases the all-time goals record. With John Carlson being the only defenseman signed for next season, it’s feasible that the Capitals would try to hold onto one or both of Jensen and Gustafsson.

  • According to a report by The Athletic’s Rob Rossi, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has expressed interest in acquiring the top defense target left on the market: Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. However, Rossi relayed notes from sources that general manager Ron Hextall is opposed to the Coyotes’ asking price, which includes 2025 and 2026 first-round picks as part of the package — the seasons when Sidney Crosby’s and Evgeni Malkin’s contracts are set to expire. Pittsburgh is 3-6-1 in their past 10 games, falling behind both the Detroit Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres in terms of points percentage in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
  • The injury status of Montreal Canadiens center Sean Monahan remains unclear, according to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger on Insider Trading. Monahan’s injury assessment is ongoing, says Dreger, and an update on his status is expected early next week. If the update is positive and Monahan is scheduled to return to the ice soon, teams in need of a veteran center could inquire about acquiring him before the trade deadline. The 26-year-old has recorded six goals, 11 assists, and 17 points in 25 games this season for Montreal but has missed nearly three months with a foot injury.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top