Stu Cowan: Healthy at last, hockey's fun again for Canadiens' Monahan

CALGARY — Sean Monahan was nine days away from his 19th birthday when he made his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames on Oct. 3, 2013.

After being selected by Calgary in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2013 NHL draft, Monahan picked up an assist in his first game as the Flames lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Washington Capitals. Monahan would score a goal in each of the next four games and finish his rookie season with 22-12-34 totals.

The next season, Monahan had 31-31-62 totals and in the final season of his three-year, NHL entry-level contract he had 27-36-63 totals.

In summer 2016, Flames GM Brad Treliving rewarded Monahan with a seven-year, US$44.625-million contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $6.357 million.

Monahan kept producing with 27-31-58 totals in 2016-17, 31-33-64 totals in 2017-18 and a career-high 34-48-82 totals in 2018-19. Then the injuries started coming. He had wrist surgery, groin surgery, two hernia surgeries and surgeries on both hips. The second hip surgery, to repair the labrum on the right side, was performed in April. The labrum on his left side was operated on the year before.

Monahan only had 8-15-23 totals in 65 games last season before being shut down for his second hip surgery. Treliving wanted to dump the final year of Monahan’s contract this summer so he could sign free-agent Nazem Kadri to a seven-year, US$49-million deal. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes was willing to take Monahan and his contract for “future considerations” if the Flames also threw in a conditional first-round pick at the 2025 NHL draft.

The deal was done and so far it’s looking like a brilliant one for Hughes.

Heading into Thursday night’s game against the Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome, Monahan had 5-9-14 totals and was only one point behind Kadri (8-7-15). It’s likely Hughes will deal Monahan before the NHL trade deadline and, if the 28-year-old forward keeps performing the way he has, the GM can possibly add another first-round draft pick to his collection. The rebuilding Canadiens already hold two first-round picks in 2023, one in 2024 and two in 2025.

There’s also the possibility Hughes might try to re-sign Monahan, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Monahan said this season he was playing without pain for the first time in four years.

A lot can happen ahead of the trade deadline on March 3 and Monahan has missed practice twice this week for maintenance days, including Wednesday before the team flew to Calgary.

This trip to Calgary is special for Monahan.

“I spent almost half my life there,” he said after the Canadiens lost 4-0 to the San Jose Sharks Tuesday at the Bell Centre. “It’s going to be weird and I’m excited to get back there.

“I don’t think I have anything to prove (to the Flames),” Monahan added. “I had a decent career there. I think the big thing is just the relationships. I built a lot of lifetime relationships with people from the city, in the organization and some teammates. It’s going to be weird. It’s also going to be special.”

Darryl Sutter was head coach of the Flames for Monahan’s final two seasons in Calgary while he was dealing with his hip issues.

“Sean did everything you asked him to,” Sutter told reporters Wednesday in Calgary. “If Sean had been one of those guys on a long-term thing, that’s a captain — Sean Monahan. I never saw Sean at his best because he had double hip surgeries. You think about it, he had one side and so he’s playing on one there. And then last year, he has the other one. So he played parts of two years with major issues. But Sean Monahan is such a coachable guy and such a good guy. I haven’t watched Montreal much — other than knowing that they’re coming up and sort of highlight stuff. But … he’s moving a lot better than any time in the last two years, for sure. So good for him.”

While he enjoyed his time in Calgary — apart from the injuries — Monahan said a fresh start with a new team was something he needed.

“Things weren’t going well,” he said. “I was hurt, I wasn’t playing much. I wasn’t having too much fun. To get a fresh start is huge for me. I’m really happy to be here.”

The Canadiens are happy to have him and Monahan said head coach Martin St. Louis — who he used to play against — has helped him, noting St. Louis understands the ups and downs of day-to-day life in the NHL. Monahan also believes his game will keep improving.

“I’m still finding my game right now and I’ve still got a lot to prove,” he said. “I can be a much better player than I have been. It’s slowly coming back. It’s an exciting time and playing hockey’s fun again.”

scowan@postmedia.com

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