Quote:
Originally Posted by Goriders
Monahan’s problem from day one has been his skating. The league gets faster every year which doesn’t help him.
He’s not an NHL calibre skater and he’s not agressive. His one big skill was as a trigger man. He’s great at scoring from the slot. Now that he’s not in the top 6 anymore his chances to do that will be fewer and farther between.
So essentially he has become invisible. They most likely will not be able to trade him either. Not sure what’s going to happen with him.
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Monahan's skating is absolutely his biggest detriment. The biggest problem for him (especially as a centerman) is that he lacks the ability to hold on to the puck and gain separation. He can't shield the puck like other big #1 centers, so he needs to be quicker. But since he's a below average skater, he almost requires a winger who can push the pace for him, which is why I believe Blake Coleman would probably be the ideal candidate to play with him.
At this point, the Flames are stuck with him. So they might as well try to get the most out of him. Wouldn't mind seeing Mangiapane-Backlund-Dube together as well. They played a really nice game together in the preseason and 11 + 88 have been a really good pairing for years now.