Quote:
Originally Posted by EVERLAST
I'm beginning to wonder how #23 ended up making just as much as #13 with this steep dive off a cliff in his performance.
He's just so weak on pucks, unconfident, no poise and couldn't even be bothered to back up his goalie last night when it was getting chippy in the blue paint for Markstrom.
Sean should be Thanking his lucky stars Darryl is trying to let him work out of this funk ....and Dube is an idiot for not jumping all over this opportunity.
Instead we have Richie with open net opportunities playing.
Sure he's a bigger body but again we've got another player just not getting it done.
|
When the contract was signed, Monahan had proven he was NHL capable, was scoring very regularly, and
looked more like a franchise type piece than Gaudreau did pretty often. He was really steady, and had an uncanny knack for scoring just outside the crease. He was the best center the Flames had seen for... a dozen years? The contract was fine. Good value.
The issue is, over the last 4 years, he's gotten injured in various ways, and the repairs haven't been 100%. That's all there is to it. The guy's tough as nails, has played out just about every year on a ruined something-or-other, and all we do is moan about how he sucks.
Now, this is not me changing my tune - I have for a very long while been on the "Monahan is not a top flight 1C" drum. He's not big enough, not fast enough, and not mean enough to dominate. His skill is getting shots off from a postage stamp of ice and having them go in. That hasn't been there this year (or last really), and luckily he's worked hard on other aspects of his game - defensive play and faceoffs.
Without Lindholm in the 1C slot (phew!) this team was dead in the water this year. End of story. Monahan's hurt or recovering or just plain wore out, and if he can improve, that's great, but we have to remember what Monahan is at best and not expect anything else. He's never going to beat anyone up, never going to be scary in the corners. He's competent. And currently overpaid, but that's hardly his fault.