When the Montreal Canadiens acquired Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames, they were taking on a contract in service of adding a future first-round pick. His injury woes were well known, and didn’t get much better for him during the 2022-23 season.
But when he was on the ice, his positive impact was undeniable. Clearly the Habs brass agreed, and announced today that they will bring him back on a one-year deal for 2023-24.
Les Canadiens s'entendent sur les termes d’une prolongation de contrat d’une saison (2023-2024) avec l'attaquant Sean Monahan.#GoHabsGohttps://t.co/yut7pLGdLG
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 20, 2023
The deal is worth $1.985 million against the cap, a significantly cheaper price than his previous contract. This is a clear show-me deal; an opportunity for Monahan to prove that he can continue to have a positive impact in the NHL, and at a price that has little impact against the cap for the Tricolore.
It also gives some flexibility for the Habs at the centre position, provided he can stay healthy. There is a strong possibility that he ends up as a trade piece come the 2024 deadline, depending on where the Habs are when that rolls around.
In all, this is a very low-risk, and potentially high-reward play by Kent Hughes. He knows what Monahan can do when healthy, and if that isn’t enough to help the team surprise and make the playoffs, he’ll have the opportunity to add even more assets for a player that he was paid to take on in the first place.
