I've been thinking about Monahan quite a bit lately, like many. Although the numbers speak for themself, point totals growing culminating in a career high this year, has Monahan taken any significant steps forward in his game over the past 2-3 years?
On one hand the answer is obvious, look at the point totals, dummy. But there's much more to it.
I think an apt comparison is Bo Horvat. Both are the same age, same position, drafted close to one another, and play similar roles on their teams. From an offensive standpoint, I'd say Monahan was dealt the better hand by having Gaudreau on his wing for the majority of his career to date. Coming out of the draft, I felt the Flames selected the right guy.
That said, I would have to say Horvat is on a much steeper trajectory. His game has taken strides forward in many areas, and now that he has some support, he's likely to continue to improve. He's becoming, or has become,a play driving C.
Monahan strikes me as a player who has plateaued. For the Flames to improve he must focus on other parts of his game. Finding room in the slot is not enough. He's not going to become a physically imposing player, although he has the size to, but he must improve his skating and play away from the puck.
At this point in time, I would have to say Horvat is the more valuable of the two. This is disappointing because it seems as though this is result of one player being able to identify areas of improvement and doing it, while the other seems complacent.
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