Monahan played just fine in his first year without Gaudreau on his wing and just finished being the team's best player while Gaudreau was out of the lineup. No, he's not going to beat many players one on one, but he's smart enough to know when to dump or pass it, to generate something out of nothing. He generally makes the smart play, which may not always dazzle or entertain, it does result in something positive. He's a bonafide stud top line Center. He's going to be expensive.
And yes, Hamilton is worth every penny of that contract. Hes going to be very good for a very long time. It's easy to forget he's one of the youngest players on the roster.
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