NHL Trade: Sean Monahan Traded to the Winnipeg Jets

The second-best center on the trade board is off the market, as the Montreal Canadiens are trading Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets.

Sean Monahan had been rumoured for weeks to be on the move from Montreal. GM Kent Hughes was playing the waiting game regarding Monahan and a couple of other players of theirs who could be on the move.

NHL Rumors: Could Sean Monahan Fetch the Canadiens a First-Round Pick?

Hughes was going to let the market dictate the return for Monahan. Considering what the Flames got from Vancouver for Elias Lindholm, Monahan was not going for anything less than a first-round pick.

Hughes was not going to rush into anything, and from the return Hughes got, he did a very good job. He got a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 third-round pick if Jets win the Stanley Cup.


Recall, the Flames sent Monahan to the Canadiens with a first-round pick attached. Now the Canadiens turn around and trade him a first-round pick. That’s two first-round picks for one player. That is a good piece of business by Kent Hughes.

One of the things that made Monahan so valuable to teams was his cap hit of $1.985 million.

This is a massive incentive to any team up against the salary cap. Other teams looking to get in the mix for Monahan were the Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers.

The Rangers would be a tough trading partner considering the history between Canadiens President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton and General Manager Chris Drury.

NHL Rumors: Is Sean Monahan the Most Attractive Center Available?

Sean Monahan is having a good season for the Canadiens. He has 35 points (13 goals and 22 assists) in 49 games with the Canadiens this season. The big thing is, he is healthy.

Monahan’s health played a role in why the Canadiens could not trade him last year. His value was just as high, but he needed to stay healthy again.

He is a solid player and a needed depth piece for the Winnipeg Jets down the middle. Winnipeg has Mark Scheifele (currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury) and Adam Lowry, and now Monahan could slot in on the second or third-line center spot. Not to mention, he can play on the power play as well.