Renaud Lavoie Reveals a Big Loss That's Hurting the Montreal Canadiens Right Now
Many hailed Kent Hughes as a genius when he traded Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets last February.
The GM was able to secure two first-round picks in the deal.
Less than a year later, it's clear that the loss of the veteran forward hurts. Even though he ultimately secured the talented Michael Hage with the Jets' pick, the Canadiens lost a leader they could greatly use at the start of this season.
A loss that "hurts" the Montreal Canadiens, according to TVA Sports
Renaud Lavoie even wonders if this was an advantageous trade for the team's progression or not.
TVA Sports - A loss that "hurts" the Canadiens
Yes, the word is strong, but that's exactly how TVA Sports puts it.
"It wasn't just his offensive play that was valuable; his defensive game was also strong. He took important faceoffs in both offensive and defensive zones, and most importantly he brought leadership.»
Renaud Lavoie
As the hockey insider recalls, the Canadiens' record with Monahan in the lineup last season was impressive, at 20-21-8. Without the veteran, the team faced much more difficulty, as shown by their record of 14-22-9 (including this season).
What's even more frustrating here is that Monahan is off to a hot start with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has racked up 11 points, including 6 goals, in 12 games. Performances that silence those who predicted he'd slow down.
Beyond his leadership and offensive abilities, Monahan excels in faceoffs. He has a success rate of 52.1%, which would rank him second on the Canadiens, behind Christian Dvorak (53.1%) and ahead of Nick Suzuki (50.5%), Jake Evans (49.2%), Oliver Kapanen (46%), and Kirby Dach (41%).
Speaking of Dach, imagine if the Canadiens still had Monahan in the lineup. He could take his place in the center of the second line, allowing #77 to ease back in on the wing (after missing an entire season). The pressure would be on the veteran, not on someone who has yet to play more than 70 games in an NHL season.
Renaud Lavoie
Nevertheless, Kent Hughes, with Monahan's help, managed to bring in a great hockey player in Michael Hage. The young man is off to an explosive start with the Michigan Wolverines. Beyond his 8 points (4 goals and 4 assists) in 7 games, he seems entirely comfortable on the ice against much older players.
Many see the Canadiens' prospect as an improved version of future Philip Danault. According to Simon "Snake" Boisvert, he possesses the same defensive talent with greater offensive ability.
Time will tell, but it remains to be seen if he will develop into an NHL player. If so, we could say Kent Hughes made the right move by trading Monahan. Otherwise, questions may arise about whether it was the right choice, especially knowing Monahan was excellent with young players
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