NHL Player of the Month: Sean Monahan
After a hot start to the season on a line consisting of him, Tanner Pearson, and Brendan Gallagher, Sean Monahan cooled off over the next portion of the season, which put his trade value in question. Perhaps he made a New Year’s resolution to find that earlier form, because he put together a very good month of January.
His offensive output really took off when Joshua Roy arrived on the roster. Not only did the veteran centre take on a mentorship role for Montreal’s top forward prospect, but formed a great partnership with Roy and Joel Armia on the ice. When Roy’s first NHL stint was over, it was Juraj Slafkovský who dropped down to Monahan’s line, and the production continued for both players.
In a busy month with 13 games, Monahan led the Canadiens with 14 points: four goals and 10 assists. He also played a big role in getting the Canadiens’ power play turned around, creating chances from his bumper role at the top of the crease.
He has been playing so well that there is now debate about whether the team should keep him; as fans fantasize about the centre depth of Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Monahan, and either Jake Evans or Owen Beck next year. It’s possible that the Habs can enjoy a bit of both by getting assets for his rental this season and then re-signing him for the next.
Given the price the Vancouver Canucks were willing to pay to acquire Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames, Monahan’s value to the future of the team may he highest as a trade piece, and it might be impossible for Kent Hughes to pass up the offers he’s bound to receive. It’s hard to see Monahan sticking around to defend this honour at the end of next month, and with the trades already starting to happen, he might be gone even sooner than expected.
Honourable mention: Cole Caufield
Caufield had the same number of five-on-five points as Monahan (8), though one less on the power play. Despite recording 13 points in 13 games, it wasn’t a month of just offensive deployment for Caufield. Facing some tough opponents, Martin St-Louis used Caufield (along with Suzuki and Slafkovský) in a shutdown role versus some of the best offensive formations in the league. The results were mixed defensively after a couple of good games versus the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers, but Caufield went into the bye week holding a nine-game point streak as his offensive game has been restored.
He’s currently on pace for 28 goals, which is only two more than he managed in 46 games last year. If he maintains his current pace and the power play can continue to produce (with or without Monahan) he may bring that up into the 35 range by the end of the year.
— Justin Blades
AHL Player of the Month: Logan Mailloux
Logan Mailloux’s AHL career got off to a slow start, which shouldn’t have been a surprise for a defenceman whose Junior career was a total of 96 games over the regular season and playoffs. He was able to find some offensive success with 17 points in the first three months, but was also a -11 with some known defensive issues following him into professional hockey. In January, his offensive game elevated to level he was used to in that brief OHL career, and his defensive play took a major step forward.
Mailloux played 11 games in January and had 11 points, held off the scoresheet just two times and enjoying a seven-game point streak that came to an end last night. He also finished with a +7 rating to elevate himself to a -4 on the year,
He’s managing this while playing on the top pairing, helping to lead the team back into playoff contention with his play at both five-on-five and the power play. The poor puck-moving decisions that plagued him in his CHL days are beginning to disappear, and he’s become a steadying force on the Rocket blue line. He’s only improving as the season goes on, and it would be tough to ask for any more from a first-round selection in his first year in the pro ranks.
Honourable mention: Arber Xhekaj
Joining Mailloux on the top pairing for much of the month of January was Arber Xhekaj, who had been sent down by the Canadiens in early December. The partnership between the two gave the team some of the best defence it has enjoyed all year long, and was critical in allowing the team to claim a point in 10 consecutive games.
Xhekaj didn’t play the full month in the AHL, rejoining the Canadiens on January 22, and the Rocket have been having issues finding their footing since he left. He helped show a young team how it needs to play if it wants to be successful, and it now has to put those lessons into practice to get back to winning ways.
— Justin Blades
European Prospect of the Month: Filip Eriksson
In the end it came down to who was younger, produced more, and at a consistent level for this month’s honour. It was tough to argue with 10 points (3G, 7A) in eight games with at least a point in every game, rather than the on-and-off display that was Oliver Kapanen’s nine points (4G, 5A) in 11 games.
Eriksson’s loan to Nybro has paid dividends for the Växjö player as he works and showcases his offensive skills. He has always had the smarts, but now showcases both skill and creativity in an offensive role and at a higher level than Junior. He is the hub on the power play, a menace on the penalty kill, and a solid rock for Nybro at five-on-five.
Personally, I think the consistency stands out, and it helps that he gets to run the power play. To be able to keep producing at over a point-per-game pace over eight games (and counting) is better than some of the top prospects from the 2022 and 2023 NHL drafts.
Honourable mentions: Oliver Kapanen & Bogdan Konyushkov
Kapanen is still a bit hit-or-miss on a game-to-game basis, and that is what kept him off the board this month. Seven games with no points with close to the same ice time as Eriksson means that he couldn’t separate himself from the Swede.
Bogdan Konyushkov, the Torpedo Captain, stands out for his heavy usage, often over 25 minutes a game in the second half of the month. For an offensive minded defenceman, the production of four points (2G, 2A) over 12 games should be higher. He also has an even goal differential, on the ice for six goals against and six for.
— Patrik Bexell
North American Prospect of the Month: Lane Hutson
Another month, another trophy for Hutson, as his gold medal and All-Star Team mention at the World Juniors add to an already overflowing cupboard of achievements for the 62nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Beyond that, however, Hutson has also had a decent return to action with Boston University, spearheading the team’s offence along with top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Macklin Celebrini for 11 points in seven games since rejoining his NCAA squad.
The passing, the shake-and-bakes, the ability to consistently make plays in motion, and the willingness to push deep into the offensive zone are all still there this season. However, Hutson’s World Juniors stint helped him further hone in on the ways in which he can impact the scoresheet when he isn’t scoring points and humiliating NCAA forwards.
It took some time, but Hutson settled into the more defensive role and the leadership responsibilities he was tasked with at the tournament, and some glimpses of that learning opportunity can be seen in the way he has played since his return to BU. Identifying when and how to jump into plays, learning to sit back when his team needs him to, and letting play develop has helped Hutson be a more efficient overall defenceman without sacrificing the offence.
Honourable mentions: Rhett Pitlick & Owen Beck
With 13 points in his last eight games, Pitlick has continued to show the dynamic offensive tools that led to his selection in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. With him being a week away from his 23rd birthday, however, this is more or less the standard for a draft pick of his age.
Owen Beck’s 15 points is his first nine games with Saginaw since being dealt there at the trade deadline seem astounding at first glance, though six of those points came in his first game with the team. Beck is in a great position to be next month’s nominee, as he settles into his environment and builds chemistry with his new linemates.
— Hadi Kalakeche
PWHL Player of the Month: Marie-Philip Poulin
The first Montreal PWHL player of the month is, unsurprisingly, the captain, Marie-Philip Poulin. Poulin had six goals and one assist in seven games in the first month of PWHL action, leading Montreal in goals and tied in points with her linemates, Tereza Vanišová and Maureen Murphy. Her six goals are tied for the PWHL lead.
Poulin was also named the PWHL’s first star of the week twice. Her highlight-reel tying goal against Toronto with 16 seconds remaining was the exclamation mark on the month.
Ça mérite d’être vu malgré la marque finale!
— PWHL Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) January 21, 2024
Worth seeing this beauty despite the final score! pic.twitter.com/TlUHR9Vrgl
She is a major reason why the Montreal team is tied for the top spot in the PWHL.
Honourable mentions: Ann-Renée Desbiens, Elaine Chuli, & Maureen Murphy
It would be a crime to not mention the play of Montreal’s goaltending duo of Ann-Renée Desbiens and Elaine Chuli. Desbiens was 3-1-1 (plus one shootout loss) in six starts with a 2.11 goals-against average and .930 save percentage, highlighted by a 43-save performance against Ottawa in a 2-1 overtime win. Chuli was even better, with a 2-0 record, 1.50 goals-against average and .962 save percentage.
Murphy’s one goal and six assists is tied for the team-lead in scoring with Poulin, and she was named to Team USA for the February leg of the Rivalry Series. The rookie has played great hockey of late, scoring the overtime winner in the last game against Ottawa.
— Jared Book
| NHL Player | AHL Player | EU Prospect | NA Prospect | PWHL Player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Sean Monahan | Logan Mailloux | Filip Eriksson | Lane Hutson | Marie-Philip Poullin |
| December | Juraj Slafkovský | Jakub Dobeš | Filip Eriksson | Jacob Fowler | |
| November | Alex Newhook | Brandon Gignac | Adam Engström | Jacob Fowler | |
| October | Cole Caufield | Joshua Roy | Oliver Kapanen | Cedrick Guindon |
