Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
I just don't see the situation as so clearly different for one player over the other. Prior to last season BOTH Gaudreau and Monahan were consistent, premiere players at their respective positions. BOTH exuded a tonne of chemistry and creativity for several years together. BOTH always looked better together than they did when they had to play with other players on the roster. You confidently assert based on Gaudreau's past that he will be just fine, while simultaneously ignoring Monahan's past—between his draft year and the end of 2019 he was the #31 highest scorer in the entire NHL—#18 among all centres.
It's a duo that once worked really well, and worked well for a pretty long time. It no longer works, and while I am not especially confident that either player can be as good as they once were, I would bet that both would benefit a lot from a change of scenery.
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Hockey to me is very plug and play, I’ve seen Gaudreau play with a Nathan Mackinnon in the World
Cup and absolutely dominate. Thought he was the best player on that team that included McDavid and Matthews. Probably not anymore that they’ve hit new levels, but I don’t think Gaudreau is that far off though.
To me, stats don’t tell me the whole story about Monahan because I believe he’s the beneficiary of that duo. Sort of like how Ryan Strome is benefiting greatly in NY. Is Ryan Strome a near ppg game player, no, but he’s playing with some great players and it’s inflating his stats. Throughout the years, I’ve paid very special attention to both players when they’re not playing together and I have found that Monahan is not nearly the same player without him whereas Gaudreau has still been very productive whether he’s playing with a Derek Ryan or a Mark Jankowski or whoever.
It’s a theory I’ve held since that line’s inception in 2014 and over the years it’s only become more solidified.
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