Quote:
Originally Posted by sa226
Monahan has all the tools to be a top flight #1 centre, without the recent blemishes on his record.
We all know its a knee jerk reaction to trade him, like was suggested immediately post playoffs. I think the organization has recognized they need him to reach another level, not coast along as the player he is right now. Thankfully he's at the perfect stage in his career to add elements to his game.
He's not going to start throwing his body around, thats not his game and it never will be. But he's a big guy. He's really bulked up even since his back injuries. He needs to learn to lean, and lean hard on guys. Like the Thornton's, the Getzlafs and the Kopitars. None of those guys have the low centre of gravity, so they have to use their size to their advantage. When Jagr was here, he should have been working every day with Monahan.
As well, I don't know how he finds it, but he needs to learn to find that extra gear X factor when the games get tough. It comes naturally to some guys, like MacKinnon did against us. Like Iginla did in his heyday. But Monahan needs to learn it.
I think he said this season, post Allstar game that he lost a lot of his confidence and it put him in a funk. This happens to probably everyone at some point, but in the stretch drive thats concerning for your top center.
I really think Monahan has the ability to reach that next level, not just a regular season reliable stat machine. The team needs to work with him to accomplish that. Without being too melodramatic, I think the success of this iteration of the franchise depends on that. As St Louis proved, you don't necessarily need a Crosby or Malkin to win it all. But you still need more than what we've seen from Monahan thus far.
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Are Point, Barzal and Pettersen projects as well?
Monahan is a 5-11 180 lb high skilled player trapped in the body of a 6-2 215 player. I am pretty sure that when Monahan and Dube look at each other they figure that they are pretty much the same size.
Appreciate Monahan for what he is not for what his stature suggests he might be.