Kent Hughes, the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, made a masterstroke by acquiring Sean Monahan and a 2022 first-round pick. The former Calgary Flames forward has quickly become a key player in Martin St-Louis' lineup.
After thirteen games, the 29-year-old veteran leads the team in goals (six) and ranks third in points with a total of twelve. He is certainly proving that he can still make a significant offensive contribution in the NHL while playing valuable minutes on the penalty kill.
Currently earning a salary of two million dollars, the Canadiens' management will undoubtedly face a tough decision at the trade deadline: whether to trade the forward to a contender or keep him in hopes of offering a contract extension.
In this context, according to Michael DeRosa of NHL Trade Rumors, two teams have already shown interest in the Canadiens' center. He reports that the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are very interested in acquiring number 91 from Montreal.
Personally, unless Kent Hughes receives an offer he simply cannot refuse, he should keep the forward in Montreal. Although the CH is in a rebuilding process, there is no doubt that Sean Monahan can still offer valuable services to the Canadiens. His departure would clearly create a significant void in the Montreal lineup, as few forwards are ready to step up in the team's top 9.
