Quote:
Originally Posted by Rando
For that season, absolutely. How can you say he wasn't?
Eleven centers had more points then Monahan last year, in what world isn't he a top line player?
The debate isn't is Monahan a top line center, it's does he have that extra gear, that two-way game that's needed for success in the playoffs. He isn't a superstar like MacKinnon, Barkov etc but he's a top line guy. Full stop.
|
Point totals only mean so much. Dany Heatley used to be a "top line guy", but how much of that was being a perfect fit on a line with Spezza and Alfredsson? Even at center, you have Steven Stamkos, who benefitted greatly from playing with Martin St. Louis, and put up an absolutely legendary 60 goal season - but since MSL's departure he's become more of a secondary guy, in the Lightning's most successful seasons seeing the best wingers on his team playing with Johnson (2015 playoffs) or with Point ( 2019 season) who are more dynamic centers.
Monahan isn't a two way beast like Toews, Kopitar, ROR, Bergeron, etc so adhering to him as a defacto 1C "just because he produces" doesn't do it for me. If a guy like Kadri could have similar levels of success on that same line, then Monahan should be able to suck it up and succeed on his own line, even if it's less prolific on the statsheets for him. I'm interested in the team's success. And comparing the two players' past production makes no sense, one guy was playing top line with Gaudreau and the other has been buried behind Matthews, or if we go back further played on the least talented team in the NHL in 2016. I've always seen Monahan as being more of a Jeff Carter / Steven Stamkos type - these guys are valuable pieces but they're also highly flawed. You can win with them if you are able to have perspective on what they are and what they are not, but you can't keep plugging them into a round hole ad infinitum and expecting different results.