Quote:
Originally Posted by Kovaz
I think it's really easy to have a grass-is-greener perspective about a player like Monahan. Monahan in particular has a really polarized skill set. His strengths are incredibly strong. He's got maybe the sneakiest release in the league, and he might be the best player in the league at finding holes in D coverage. That skillset is so rare and so unique, and it's a huge part of our team's success.
That said, the majority of other top Cs in the league are much better puck carriers than him, which is I think the biggest source of Monahan criticism. Most other top guys have either great skating and stick handling allowing them to weave through defenders and find space; or size, strength, and balance allowing them to shield the puck to create space. Monahan doesn't really possess either in spades, so he has to rely on having a linemate like Gaudreau to handle the puck-carrying responsibilities. It works, but if Gaudreau is a little off his game their line as a whole really suffers.
He really doesn't fit the #1C archetype and it's easy to want a more typical center in that role, but Monahan is every bit as good as the players we'd covet as a replacement. Just in a different way.
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You make some fair points but it's worth noting the majority of the players you're comparing him to regarding great skating, puck carrying etc, are a lot older and more seasoned.
It seems to be lost on a few people just how young he is, which makes the rate at which he's scoring game winning goals and goals in general all the more remarkable. As good as he is, he's far from a finished product.
I also think he's vastly improved carrying the puck and making plays this year (as you'd expect as he matures and gets bigger and stronger). Agreed he still has room to improve in this area, but I think it's coming along.
You're right that he makes up for it though, and does so in spades. The ability to finish is becoming a huge commodity in the current NHL. And doing so at clutch times even more so.
I know I'm going to feel pretty darn good going into an OT game in the playoffs with Monny at 1C.