Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
I tend to agree with Kermitology. If you really take out the first few months of the season he's been pretty unspectacular as the season has progressed which isn't a cause for concern because it happens with rookies and it's not like MacKinnon in Colorado where he's been playing with near elite talent nightly. He's been playing largely with a veteran and another developing winger most of the time so he's not going to get a lot of gift assists or goals. He will get better as the talent around him does but I wouldn't be surprised if he's a little flat next season placed with higher expectations.
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There's no cause for concern at all. Here's why:
1. Yes, Monahan looks unspectacular for long stretches. He's learning the pro game. It's also very apparent that he isn't used to his body; often times he looks like a newborn giraffe on skates. When he fills out, he's going to be dominant.
2. 'He's either playing with a vet or a developing player' - logically, if he'd been playing with Hudler all year, he probably would have had more assists, but I see where you're coming from here. I would say you'll see his assists go up next year when a) he''s given more responsibility and b) he plays with a dynamic player. Sven, Johnny, a more developed Colborne, whoever.
3. He hasn't scored many pretty goals. But he's scored a few. His 20th was as deadly a shot as you'll see in this league. His release is terrific; it's compact, hard, and accurate. Remember that he's scored 22 goals in a role that sees him as the fourth or fifth PP option at the absolute best. Nothing about this offense is built around getting Sean Monahan his touches. Which also helps to explain why he looks unspectacular at times. Because he's 19 and he has to make his own breaks. Which he's done 22 times. I'm not going to begrudge him if it doesn't happen, but I'd be absolutely astonished if he doesn't have a 50 goal season under his belt by age 25.
4. This can't be stressed enough. Despite having a deeper voice at 19 than I do at 25, Monahan still isn't close to physically mature. When he's 23 years old and 205 lbs of solid muscle, there's going to be five or six guys in the whole league who can handle him.