I don't think comparing him to Linden is being down on him and thought it was an interesting comparison that I hadn't heard before. I don't see E.Staal because Monahan hasn't shown that kind of footspeed yet, but, perhaps our collective memory of Linden is shaded by two factors: his final seasons as a 3rd/4th line player and the Canuck Stink.
I'd be ok if Monahan ended up being a consistent 30 goal scorer who could dominate the faceoff circle and possession down low, lead his team, be a grizzled playoff warrior who produced when it mattered most.
From that perspective, I see the comparison immediately, as Monahan seems very comfortable with the idea of hanging back to help out his defenders rather than stray too far and jeopardize his linemates.
I don't think comparing him to a 21 year old captain who scored 2 goals in game 7 of the cup final is a dismissal. It's not exactly an outrageously lofty comparison, but it's not a comparison to Patrick Stefan, either.
Trevor Linden was good enough to make Team Canada for the Nagano olympics and I believe scored the only goal for Canada against the Czechs (where Crawford kept Gretzky on the bench for the shootout...). He was probably the most dependable player in the league for much of his career, major injuries aside.
If Monahan turns into a that kind of player, I would say it would be a massive success.
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