A small risk that can pay off well. Kent Hughes was right when he offered a one-season contract to Sean Monahan for the modest sum of two million dollars. If he can stay healthy and continue on his current path, No. 91 will likely be the biggest bargain in the NHL.
Exactly. Considering he signed at a discount because of his medical history, what is Monahan’s real value? Sportlogiq explored the topic by establishing a series of comparisons with other centers on the Bettman circuit who signed their last contract when they were the same age as the 29-year-old center.
A wide range of aspects of the game are taken into account on both the defensive and attacking levels. For example, success in faceoffs, presence in the crease, getting in and out of the zone, fighting for the puck.
The names of Brock Nelson, Ryan O’Reilly and Tomas Hertl appear among those whose play and contribution most closely resemble that of the former Fire player. We are talking about three strong guys here.
Since signing his $6 million per season contract in May 2019, Nelson has led the Islanders with 229 points in 291 games. We’re talking a production rate of 64 points in an 82-game season. Which is very close to the 62 point pace that Monahan has maintained since wearing the Canadian colors.
Hertl, on the other hand, collected 63 points in the season after signing the contract, which earned him an average of slightly more than 8 million dollars per season. He had 10 in 15 games this fall.
Evidence from the past
He was coming off a 30-goal season when he signed. A plateau that Monahan crossed twice while receiving an average salary of $6.375 million.
“I’ve done it before,” Monahan said when asked to explain this brilliant start to the season. They trust me in many situations. I touch the puck a lot.”
Used in both mass attack and numerical penalty, the Ontarian has blackened the scorers at least once in almost every game since the start of the campaign. In 15 games, he was sent off only four times.
It is not surprising that, with 13 points, he is currently in second place among the Habs in points. He is joined on this podium by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, two teammates who earn just over $7.8 million per season.
“He brings a lot of consistency and is a professional. He understands what we want to do. He is disciplined about the concepts of the game, the direction we want to go. It is not by chance that he is successful,” Martin St-Louis praised him after Sunday’s meeting.
Who is at risk?
In short, a player this useful is worth its weight in gold in today’s NHL. A contract of around $6 million is likely what the Monahan clan will be looking for at the end of the campaign. As a result, Hughes will have a big decision to make as the trade deadline approaches.
Will he want to keep this key element of his offense by taking the risk of another injury slowing his momentum, or will he use playoff runs to push this risk into another team’s backyard in return? draft prospects and picks?
At $6 million per season, it’s a think-tank. Especially since the Monahan clan will most likely be looking for a long-term deal. At 29 years old, he will look to maximize this contract.
