Only a few days after the Vancouver Canucks took a big swing to bolster their lineup, the Winnipeg Jets have responded in kind by acquiring former Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan.
Heading back to Montreal is a 2024 1st round draft pick, and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2027. No salary will be retained by the Canadiens in the deal as Winnipeg will take on the full $1.985M cap hit for the pending UFA.
The Jets, who sit 6 points back of the Canucks for top spot in the Western Conference with 2 games in hand, were in the market for depth at centre as they gear up for a deep playoff run. Winnipeg has hit a rough patch in the season following a lower body injury to Mark Scheifele, cementing the notion that the front office needed to address their strength up the middle.
The 29 year old forward has 35 points (13G, 22A) across 49 games this year for the Habs, and is expected to start his tenure in Winnipeg on a line with Cole Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers. Assuming that Scheifele is fit to return following the All-Star break, that would likely result in a forward configuration of:
Connor – Scheifele – Vilardi
Perfetti – Monahan – Ehlers
Niederreiter – Lowry – Appleton
Barron – Namestnikov – Iafallo
While the departure of one of their top point producers amidst another injury plagued season for the Canadiens forwards group doesn’t bode well for the club’s playoff hopes, Montreal fans have to be thrilled with the “Monahan era” from a development perspective. Not only did they net a 1st and conditional 3rd rounder in dealing him to Winnipeg, but they also received a conditional 1st rounder from Calgary two summers prior to take on Monahan’s contract in a salary dump from the Flames.
All in all, Monahan’s tenure in Montreal may not have yielded a ton of on ice results, but his arrival and subsequent departure have positioned the club well for the future.
Both teams will next be in action on Tuesday February 6th as the Jets prepare for a contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the Canadiens will travel to Washington to take on the Capitals in a 7pm ET affair.
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