Quote:
Originally Posted by CroFlames
I didn't read through the thread, but you definitely lock up Mony as long as you can. Nevermind this bridge business.
He is the most important player on the team. A top tier first line center who plays 2 ways and puts up decent point totals. Has a deceivingly deadly shot and quick release and has already exhibited leadership qualities as a 20 and 21 year old. In my opinion, only a matter of time before he combines all this skills with a physical edge in his game and will truly be an exceptional player, I dare say elite.
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In what world is Monahan a top tier first line center? He plays a first line role on this team, a team that hasn't had a true first line center since Nieuwendyk. Can you honestly say he was a better center last year than Langkow or Conroy (2002) at their peaks for us? No, you can say he put up nice numbers and he's only 20 year old. Guess what, that "he's only 20 years old" part is a way of brushing aside the fact that his game isn't as complete as people want to think. He's a young player with a ton of upside. That's exactly why you want to bridge him because if his development plateaus, he's not a #1 center and he's probably worth around 5.5 million a year. People laugh at the Ryan O'Reilly contract but right now ROR is a better hockey player than Monahan. And you can bet Monahan's agent is pushing for ROR money.
Here's what we know about Monahan:
- Right now, he's #3 on the penalty kill order. Stajan and Backlund play ahead of him.
- Right now, he's a weak possession player. He's not very dominant behind the net and he's the opposite of physical, when he gets a hit on the stat sheet it's usually more of a light shove. He's less physical than Dougie Hamilton, Kris Russell, Mikael Backlund, Matt Stajan.
- He's not (being used as) a go-to guy on the power play. Look at every true #1 Center in the NHL and they are a go-to-guy on the power play for their team. He's on the number one unit but how often does he set up to create something?
- He's not been especially good with faceoffs. 44.2% this year so far, 49.3% last year, 45.9% his rookie year.
- Right now, he has an excellent snap shot and wrist shot. By far one of the best in the league.
- He's a smart passer but his actual playmaking skills are still developing.
The list of true #1Cs is full of guys that are a full tier to four tiers ahead of him offensively as creators. Some of those guys might be "Old" but that doesn't make them "Worse":
Malkin
Crosby
Tavares
Getzlaf
Seguin
Datsyuk
Thornton
H. Sedin
Giroux
Kopitar
Carter
Toews
Krejci
Stamkos
Johnson
Zetterberg
Bergeron
Statsny
Backes
Backstrom
Johansen
Spezza
Off the top of my head. Which of these players is not a clear upgrade on Monahan
right now?
There is a ton of room to grow for the Monny and that's not an indictment on his talent. He's not a #1 Center right now just because he plays on a #1 line just like Malkin is not a #2 Center right now just because he plays on a #2 line.
What tier is Monahan in
right now? I'm thinking:
Pavelski
Kuznetsov
McDavid
Eichel
(Matthews.. poor guy's a day too young)
MacKinnon
Barkov
Monahan
Turris
Dubinsky
Stepan
Brassard
Little
Kesler
Plekanec
Galchenyuk
Couture
Nugent-Hopkins
Scheifele
O'Reilly
Kadri
Duchene
Ribiero
Lehtera
No shame in that at Age 21 but guys who are #2 Centers or have #1 Center
potential. And in my opinion, the guys I've got ahead of Monahan on that list, are either better than Monahan now, or younger and can be better than Monahan in the future.
If you're paying Monahan that kind of money (~5.75 to 6.25M a year) I can live with it. But you're probably not paying
Gaudreau that kind of money, he's easily looking at a Tarasenko contract (7.5M a year) by the end of the season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Super Nintendo Chalmers
If there's a need to "buy time", isn't that where Bennett's contract comes in? Honestly, this sounds like a solution in search of a problem.
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In 2016 we still have Bollig, Smid, Engelland, Raymond, Wideman under contract eating up 15.85 million so we're in tight to keep all three of Hudler, Monahan, and Gaudreau. Hudler is looking more and more like an odd-man out due to the cap.
In 2017 we only have Stajan left from the bunch of vets that we don't need. We can officially start the new era replacing those vets with the likes of Hathaway, Sieloff, Kulak, Hickey, Culkin, Wotherspoon, Granlund, Klimchuk, Poirier, Andersson, Arnold etc. As long as Treliving doesn't make a dumb trade or free agent signing, we'll have space to keep Sam, unless one of Monahan or Sam establishes himself as a clear #1 Center deserving of true #1 center money. Which will be a good thing for the franchise and we can do whatever it takes (Including move Stajan/Backlund/Bouma)