Flames Listening To Offers For Sean Monahan
After a disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs, many expect big changes in Calgary this summer. Tweaks to the roster alone probably aren’t going to be enough and players like defenseman Mark Giordano and winger Johnny Gaudreau have been speculated as possible candidates to be on the move, the former due to their expansion situation where he may have to be left unprotected and the latter due to his contract situation as he’s about to enter the final year of his contract.
The other long-term core player that the Flames have is center Sean Monahan and it appears that he’s in play as well as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is listening to offers for the 26-year-old.
It was only two seasons ago that Monahan had a dominant season, one that saw him notch 34 goals and 48 assists in 78 games while he and Gaudreau became one of the more productive duos in the NHL. At that point, it looked as if he had arrived as the clear-cut number one middleman they hoped they’d get when they selected him sixth overall back in 2013.
But things haven’t gone well since then. In 2019-20, his production dipped to 22 goals and 26 assists in 70 games in the pandemic-shortened year, the second-lowest point per game rate of his career. Then came this season where things were even worse. Monahan managed just 10 goals and 18 helpers in 50 games. While the fact the pandemic cut the season short again is notable, so too is the fact that his previous career-low in goals was 22. Suddenly, after being one of their more consistent scoring threats, that element of Monahan’s game disappeared and as a result, both Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund were more productive this season.
Monahan has two years left on his contract with a $6.375MM AAV with a 10-team no-trade clause, per CapFriendly. That price tag looked like a bargain two years ago but that isn’t the case now based on his recent performance.
Nevertheless, with what is once again a very weak free agent center market and the fact that impact pivots are hard to come by, there still should be several teams interested in Monahan. While the price tag is high for his recent production, he notched between 58 and 64 points in the four seasons preceding his 82-point campaign so there is a proven level of success and at 26, he still should be in the prime of his career. In terms of upside, there probably won’t be many other centers of that caliber that find their way into trade talks this summer.
With the cap being flat and Seattle’s entry into the league, the trade market could be busier than normal as a result. It looks like Monahan can be added to the list of players that could be on the move in the coming months.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sean Monahan To Undergo Hip Surgery
The last four games of the season for the Calgary Flames are not really worth anything, given the North Division playoff spots are already decided. So why not get a head start on injury rehab? Sean Monahan will not play again this season and is scheduled for hip surgery next week. The Flames expect Monahan to be a full participant in training camp for next season.
It was a disappointing year for the 26-year-old center, who scored just ten goals in 50 games and registered a career-low 28 points. Monahan had scored at least 22 goals in every season of his career to this point, a pace he wasn’t on even if this season had been a full 82. He actually had 15 points in his first 20 games of the year, but managed just five goals and ten points in the 26 games with Darryl Sutter behind the bench. His ice time in those games was also greatly reduced, totaling fewer than 15 minutes on several occasions down the stretch.
While a hip injury could obviously be a part of those struggles, Sutter wasn’t afraid of calling out his best forwards when they couldn’t find the back of the net. Monahan was moved to the wing for the Flames a few days ago, a surprise that complicates the offseason even further. The team quite obviously needs a refresh if they want to compete for the postseason next year, but Monahan has been entrenched as a center for the last eight years in Calgary. If Sutter, who it should be noted has also pointed out the positives in Monahan’s game several times during his tenure (and even before it), believes that he’s no longer best-suited for the middle of the ice, perhaps they target another center to take his place.
Monahan has two years remaining on his contract and carries a $6.375MM cap hit. His deal also includes a 10-team no-trade list.
Latest On Calgary’s Sam Bennett
Over the last couple of weeks, it has felt like Sam Bennett has had one skate out the door in Calgary. The Flames forward, although he denies formally requesting a trade, was believed to be upset with his role in Calgary and wanting out. This reportedly came as a surprise to the team initially, but it also seemed like they too were working toward moving Bennett, an idea fueled by a healthy scratch for the young forward days after the news emerged. Yet, as Daniel Austin writes for the Calgary Sun, it has suddenly grown very quiet on the Bennett front.
Part of this change, Austin notes, is simply because Bennett’s trade drama also aligned with several injuries up front for the Flames. Derek Ryan, Elias Lindholm, and most recently Mikael Backlund have all been sidelined for various lengths of time. The Flames need Bennett in the lineup right now. The other major change is where exactly in the lineup Bennett has been playing. Amidst the chaos of Bennett’s unknown future with the team, head coach Geoff Ward made the decision to move Bennett to the top line with stars Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Bennett responded to the promotion with his first two goals of the season over the past four games. While Bennett is still struggling this season relative to his past seasons, his teammates, and his expectations as a top-five NHL Draft pick, his play has noticeably picked up of late.
The question of course, as posed by The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek last week, is why the lineup change was made. Was Ward honestly trying to repair the relationship with Bennett by showing him that the organization trusts him and sees his top-six upside despite his recent struggles and historic inability to hold down the role? Possibly, but it does sound like somewhat of a stretch. The alternative reason could be, in light of Bennett’s desire to leave Calgary, that the team decided to showcase his ability for a while in an effort to maximize a possible return. Given that injuries had shuffled the lineup anyhow, this seems like a very plausible reason for the timing of the move.
The underlying issue for the Flames is that, while they honestly may not want to trade Bennett, both sides stand to benefit. As Duhatschek writes, Bennett represented an impending Expansion Draft problem well before his trade request. The Flames can protect, at most, seven forwards from selection in the draft. With a deep and talented forward corps, Gaudreau, Monahan, Lindholm, and of course Matthew Tkachuk are already locks for protection while Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane also seem like safe bets. If Milan Lucic does not waive his No-Movement Clause, that is your group of seven. Even if he does waive, Calgary will still have to decide between Bennett and the younger, more dynamic Dillon Dube. Whichever of the two they don’t protect seems very likely to be the selection of the Seattle Kraken. As a result, the Flames have to wonder why they would keep a disgruntled Bennett this season to either lose him in expansion or to lose Dube instead and hope Bennett’s production and attitude improve moving forward.
Bennett allegedly wants out of Calgary and the Flames have a very valid reason to trade him. Yet, it has grown quiet on the rumor mill. It could be the timing of injuries or the team wanting to extend Bennett’s stint on the top line as they field offers. Either way, this situation seems far from resolved. Without a major boost in production this season or another major injury or transactional shake-up to the roster, it is difficult to see the relationship between Bennett and Flames lasting the season.
West Notes: Myers, Trouba, Blackhawks, Flames
Speaking with reporters as they cleaned out their lockers today, a pair of Jets defensemen commented on their future with the team. Pending UFA Tyler Myers indicated (via Murat Ates of The Athletic) that he’s open to starting discussions with GM Kevin Cheveldayoff as soon as the team is ready to do so. Myers took a small step back statistically this season but remains one of the top blueliners that will potentially be available on the open market.
Meanwhile, pending RFA Jacob Trouba was largely non-committal about his future, relays Sportsnet’s Rory Boylen. He’d only acknowledge that they’d talk in the summer which suggests there are no imminent discussions on the horizon. Trouba’s willingness to sign long-term with the Jets has long been in question but he has certainly bolstered his negotiating leverage as he had a career year in 2018-19 with 50 points in 82 games. If he so desires, he can sign a one-year deal this summer and become eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2020.
Elsewhere out West:
- Blackhawks prospect Evan Barrett has decided to remain at Penn State for his junior year, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). The center, a 2017 third-round pick, had a strong sophomore season with 43 points in 32 games and gave serious consideration to turning pro. He recently underwent surgery for an undisclosed injury and will miss two-to-three months.
- Meanwhile, from the same report, Powers notes that goalie prospect Ivan Nalimov is unlikely to sign with the Blackhawks. His KHL contract with Avangard Omsk is set to come to an end next week but with several others already ahead of him on the depth chart, he could be looking at spending time in the ECHL next season. If another team has interest in him, he could be a trade candidate but the odds of that will decrease if he signs an extension in Russia.
- Flames GM Brad Treliving told reporters, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg, that center Sean Monahan was playing through a cracked thumb. Monahan averaged over a point per game during the regular season but was held to just a goal and an assist in five postseason contests. He added that goalie David Rittich had been playing through a knee injury late in the year which may at least partly explain why he wasn’t given a chance to play at some point during their series loss to Colorado.
PHWA Announces 2018-19 Midseason Awards
Though they have no bearing on the eventual winners, last season the Professional Hockey Writers Association brought back their Midseason Awards to give fans an idea of who was leading the charge around the NHL at the halfway point. Today those ballots have been tallied and the midseason trophies were given out:
Hart Trophy – Most valuable player
1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
3. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Norris Trophy – Best defenseman
1. Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
2. Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Selke Trophy – Best defensive forward
1. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
2. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
3. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators
Calder Trophy – Best rookie
1. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
2. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
3. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Lady Byng Trophy – Sportsmanship & gentlemanly conduct
1. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
2. Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames
Vezina Trophy – Best goaltender
1. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
2. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
3. Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jack Adams Award – Best coach
1. Barry Trotz, New York Islanders
2. Bill Peters, Calgary Flames
3. Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning
GM of the Year Award
1. Brad Treliving, Calgary Flames
2. Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks
3. Lou Lamoriello, New York Islanders
Rod Langway Award – Best defensive defenseman
1. Mattias Ekholm, Nashville Predators
2. Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
3. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Comeback Player of the Year Award
1. Robin Lehner, New York Islanders
2. Jeff Skinner, Buffalo Sabres
3. Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild
Snapshots: “Trade Bait”, Lindholm, Spezza
The second month of the NHL season is underway and with it comes the first iteration of TSN’s “Trade Bait” board. To no surprise, unsigned Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander tops the list. With the countdown at 28 days until the December 1st deadline for Nylander to sign and play in the NHL this season, the impasse between the two sides is desperately in need of a resolution, and with each day that goes by, a trade looks more and more likely. TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes that it was the first week of November last year when No. 1-ranked trade bait player Matt Duchene was traded away, making it entirely possible that a Nylander trade or other big name move could drop in the next few days. Joining Nylander in the top six of the list are recent rumor mill highlights Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers and Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson of the Los Angeles Kings, as well as summer trade bait board holdout Mats Zuccarello, also of the Rangers, and perennial rumor monger Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings. Both free agency-bound Columbus Blue Jackets superstars – Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin – feature in the top ten, as does a possible Nylander return piece Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes. A surprise addition is Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers, who seems unlikely to move in the midst of what the Jets hope is a Stanley Cup-caliber season. So too is Wayne Simmonds, who the Philadelphia Flyers seemingly would like to re-sign and keep on as a leader and core contributor, but the Flyers’ success this season will likely determine his availability. The trade board is limited to just 15 names right now, but this initial list certainly features plenty of talent and some names that have already featured prominently in rumors. TSN may have perfect timing, as the NHL trade market seems ready to heat up.
- One of the off-season’s biggest trades almost went differently, writes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Fox talked to new Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters recently, who stated that he expected a different package from a different team entirely in return for defenseman Dougie Hamilton, only to find that his former club, the Carolina Hurricanes, had offered the top package of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Peters (obviously) says that he likes the way the deal turned out. While Hanifin is off to a slow start in Calgary, Lindholm has been an excellent fit next to Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau on the top line and currently sports a 24.3% shooting percentage to go with a team-leading nine goals and total of 14 points.
- Fox also recently spoke with Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza, who this past week played in his 1,000th NHL game, about how he is approaching a contract year. Spezza was transparent with his answer:
“Not when you’re 35. You don’t care about the contract years… I just want to play the year, have a good year. I want to be back here next year. The money doesn’t matter. I just want to play and make sure I have a good role… It’s different when you’re at this point in my career. I just want to be on a team that has a chance to win. So, no, I can’t say that’s once played into my mind… That time has passed in my career. I’m just looking to play and be on a good team and have a good role and contribute… If you put the work into it, you get rewarded with big contracts. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever played the game for the money.”
Spezza’s honesty is refreshing, but he also contradicts himself with a scenario that is likely to unfold as the season progresses. Spezza states that he wants to be back in Dallas next season, yet also wants a chance to finally win the Stanley Cup. Those two things may not coincide soon enough for the veteran center. The Stars currently share the 14th-best record in the NHL, but sit sixth out of seven in the powerhouse Central Division and have struggled to score goals early on this season. If Dallas cannot improve over the course of the season, Spezza will become an attractive trade rental candidate, especially since his eight points thus far indicate a bounce-back season compared to a disappointing 2017-18 campaign. Dallas may also be a few years away from really competing with the likes of Nashville and Winnipeg in the Central. A desire to win may make a continued career with the Stars less likely, but would make Spezza’s decision to waive his No-Movement Clause and choices in free agency much easier.
Snapshots: Panarin, Forbort, Monahan, Montour
Although the Rangers and Blackhawks have linked as potential landing spots for Blue Jackets winger Artemi Panarin, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the Stars are also on Panarin’s shortlist of preferred destinations. Shapiro adds that the team believes that they could have the cap room long-term to have both Panarin and fellow pending UFA Tyler Seguin on long-term contracts but that there would likely need to be roster casualties to do so. Columbus has been fielding trade interest in the Russian winger but they have been receiving futures-based packages, something they don’t seem interested in doing at this time.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Kings defenseman Derek Forbort sustained a back injury over the summer, GM Rob Blake told reporters, including Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. The issue is unrelated to the knee injury he had last season but the team will need to evaluate him when he reports to training camp to determine if he’ll miss any time.
- Flames center Sean Monahan has fully recovered from the lengthy list of surgeries he underwent back in April, notes Aaron Vickers of NHL.com. The 23-year-old was shut down late last season and had wrist, groin and two hernia surgeries shortly thereafter. Fortunately for Calgary, he has been taking part in informal team skates in advance of training camp and they will need Monahan as his best as they hope that a bolstered top line will help them get back to the postseason.
- While the Ducks and defenseman Brandon Montour ultimately settled on a two-year bridge contract, they did discuss a long-term pact, Montour acknowledged to John Matisz of theScore. However, they weren’t able to find something that worked for both sides which isn’t particularly surprising as the 24-year-old only has one full NHL season under his belt so a short-term pact was the likeliest outcome. That will likely be the case as well for their last RFA in winger Nick Ritchie.
Poll: Who Are The Best Centers In The NHL?
The NHL Network lit up the hockey world recently when they revealed their list of the Top 20 Centers in the league, ranking Connor McDavid as the best in the league ahead of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The number four slot was occupied by Auston Matthews, which ruffled some feathers, while the reigning Stanley Cup champions Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom were down at 13 and 14 respectively.
The Penguins (Croby, Malkin), Maple Leafs (Matthews, John Tavares), Capitals (Kuznetsov, Backstrom) and Oilers (McDavid, Draisaitl) all had two names on the list, while other potential options like Eric Staal, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Toews, Brayden Schenn, Brayden Point, Ryan O’Reilly, Sean Monahan and Dylan Larkin were all absent.
Since the NHL Network’s fan vote was so different—Jay Beagle ranked 20th on the list—we thought we’d do our own tally here at PHR. In the poll below we’ve listed many options and are asking you to vote for your top group by selecting 10 names. Does Matthews stay in the top five? Can defensive wizards like Anze Kopitar and Patrice Bergeron climb up the rankings? Does the PHR community believe in William Karlsson? Cast your vote for the top 10 centers in the league and make sure to leave a comment explaining your choices.
Who are the best centers in the NHL?
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Sidney Crosby 12% (1,249)
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Connor McDavid 11% (1,161)
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Evgeni Malkin 8% (837)
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John Tavares 8% (817)
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Patrice Bergeon 7% (751)
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Auston Matthews 7% (719)
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Nathan MacKinnon 7% (711)
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Steven Stamkos 6% (612)
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Anze Kopitar 6% (607)
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Mark Scheifele 4% (449)
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Tyler Seguin 4% (412)
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Evgeny Kuznetsov 3% (340)
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Jonathan Toews 3% (315)
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Nicklas Backstrom 3% (311)
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Jack Eichel 2% (243)
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Aleksander Barkov 2% (168)
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Ryan Getzlaf 1% (158)
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Ryan O'Reilly 1% (102)
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Sean Couturier 1% (100)
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Mathew Barzal 1% (89)
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Leon Draisaitl 1% (80)
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William Karlsson 1% (77)
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Brayden Schenn 1% (55)
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Joe Thornton 0% (52)
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Dylan Larkin 0% (51)
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Brayden Point 0% (48)
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Sean Monahan 0% (46)
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Nazem Kadri 0% (46)
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Ryan Johansen 0% (41)
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Matt Duchene 0% (38)
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Eric Staal 0% (35)
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Paul Stastny 0% (32)
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Bo Horvat 0% (24)
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Vincent Trocheck 0% (22)
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Nico Hischier 0% (19)
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Mikko Koivu 0% (16)
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Mika Zibanejad 0% (13)
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Derek Stepan 0% (8)
Total votes: 10,854
[Mobile users click here to vote]
*Though Claude Giroux has played center for much of his career, his absence from the NHL Network list means he was likely left off the ballot. We’ve similarly left him out of the poll, along with other part-time centers like Joe Pavelski, Blake Wheeler and Logan Couture. If you feel as though any of them should be included in this group, make sure to leave a comment down below.
Sean Monahan Underwent Four Surgeries, Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Every year, players reveal in their season-ending interviews that they had been playing through injuries and would require surgery. Not many announce that they’ve already undergone four procedures. That’s what Sean Monahan revealed to reporters today, including Jermain Franklin of TSN who reports the Calgary Flames forward had reconstructive surgery on his wrist, along with procedures on both hips and his groin.
Monahan last played on March 21st, and expects to be back to full strength in three months. That means he’ll be ready for Flames training camp, and will try to help the team rebound from an utterly disappointing 2017-18.
Despite playing with injuries for much of the year, Monahan still set a career-high in points with 64 and scored a team-leading 31 goals. The 23-year old center is an exceptional offensive player, and looks ready to take the next step to becoming one of the elite two-way players in the game. Along with Johnny Gaudreau, who also set a career-high with 84 points, Monahan was one of the few positives in Calgary this season. A season that began with high hopes after the acquisitions of Travis Hamonic and Mike Smith quickly turned to disappointment and an early trip to the golf course.
Calgary missed the playoffs for the seventh time in nine years, and now face a very long wait at the upcoming draft. While they already signed Mikael Backlund to a long-term extension, they have other important decisions to make about how to improve a club that was built to contend this season.
Injury Notes: Versteeg, Brodie, Tkachuk, Kuznetsov, Holtby, Bernier
Not long after the Calgary Flames shut down center Sean Monahan for the season, the Flames lost another player for the remainder of the season in winger Kris Versteeg, according to Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson.
Versteeg had been out with a hip injury for a large chunk of the season this year. He has been out since Nov. 24, but came back last week for two games. Yet two scratches in a row in the team’s two most recent games suggests he wasn’t at full strength. With the Flames quickly bottoming out in the final stretch of games, it probably makes sense for the team to allow Versteeg to sit and heal for next season, allowing them to look at some younger options.
While Versteeg’s loss isn’t as devastating a loss as Monahan, Versteeg was considered a key to the team’s back-six. He has averaged close to 15 goals per season over the previous three years, but only managed to appear in 24 games this season, posting just three goals and five assists.
- In other injury news in Calgary, the Calgary Sun’s Kristen Anderson writes that defenseman T. J. Brodie and winger Matthew Tkachuk are both still considered day-to-day and will not travel with the team to San Jose or Los Angeles for their upcoming road trip. Brodie has missed two games after taking a hit from Vegas Golden Knights enforcer Ryan Reaves on Mar. 18, while Tkachuk has missed five games after taking a hit from the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal on Mar. 11.
- The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan tweets that center Evgeny Kuznetsov will return to the Capitals’ lineup today after missing three games with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old center has never missed a game with an injury and as the Capitals fight for a better seeding in the playoffs, the team will be happy to get him back. Kuznetsov is heading for a career year as he already has a career-high 21 goals and his 71 points is six short of his career high.
- Khurshudyan also notes that Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz will continue to hold goaltender Braden Holtby out of games as he doesn’t want to risk further injury. The veteran goaltender remains day-to-day with a lower body injury.
- Adrian Dater of BSN Denver tweets that Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jonathan Bernier is out again, this time with an upper-body injury. He came in to replace Semyon Varlamov Thursday in their 7-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and allowed two goals.