While the Montreal Canadiens continue their rebuild, the team has failed to meet the expectations set upon themselves prior to the 2023-24 season.
Bolstered with talented young players, there was hope that the Canadiens would be able to find some success this year, and possibly make a return to the playoffs.
Now, with the 2023-24 season quickly slipping away from Montreal, they've found themselves in a position where they look to move some older players as rentals to acquire draft picks.
One of those older players who has found themselves on the outside is Sean Monahan. The 29-year-old signed a 1 year, $2,000,000 deal with Montreal during the offseason.
In a recent "Insider Trading" segment on TSN, Darren Dreger suggested that Monahan could be "among the first" forwards to be moved before the deadline.
Dreger reported that Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has an agreement in principle to trade Monahan to a Stanley Cup contender ahead of the March 8th deadline. The agreement apparently dates back to the offseason when Monahan signed a one-year contract with the Canadiens, outlining a plan to trade him to a contending team or a team of his choice when the time is right.
That gives Monahan less than two months in a Montreal jersey, before he is inevitably traded to a Stanley Cup contender looking for a short-term loan ahead of the playoffs.
In the 2023-24 season, Monahan has scored 11 goals, 14 assists (25 points) in 40 games. Very impressive considering the low cap hit.
Dreger noted that there is always demand for centermen, and potential destinations for Monahan include Boston, Colorado, Edmonton or Washington.
The expectation is that Monahan will be playing for a new club by the March 8th deadline.
The Canadiens currently sit 17-18-6 through 41 games, sixth in the Atlantic division.
