Sean FRICKIN Monahan

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by the2bears

I thought he did just fine when Gaudreau was out. Why do you say he doesn't carry a line?

I said he doesn't carry it by himself. Draisatl also doesn't play every shift with McDavid.

For example:
Bennett-Monahan-Hathaway --- I don't think Monahan can carry the other two that nuch

Gaudreau-Jankowski-Hathaway -- I don't think there will be a massive drop in production for Gaudreau

[dieHARDflameZ]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Maybe Drai.. bur when is the last time Monahan was killing penalties? McDavid is a really good player. I guess we just have different opinions.

McDavid is killing penalties because he’s fast and creates short handed opportunities, not because he’s good in his own end. He is one of if not the best offensive players in the game but he doesn’t play both ends of the ice as often as he should be and flies the zone A LOT.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Love

I like Drai’s game more. Tremendous passer of the puck, strong as an ox and ferocious on the cycle. He really made me a fan during the Anaheim series last year. I just think he is more talented than Sean.

Again when you constantly go around saying this team won't win with Monahan as it's top Centre, I'd imagine you'd like the game of a lot of players more than Sean.

I think you vastly under-rate Monahan, and it's kind of ironic this thread was bumped in jest at the comments you and a few others seem to make a habit of sliding in to so many threads any time the team loses a few games.

As such, instead of just coyly interjecting a few names you'd rate above him, you should really try and back up your long-held and vocal minority opinion.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by keenan87

...Draisaitl

Nonsense.

[GoJetsGo]

Re: Monahan vs. MacKinnon... it was just recently Mac pulled ahead. Despite his pedigree when being drafted 1OA, Monahan put up more points in several of their first seasons and was ahead until this year that MacKinnon broke out. It's a good year for him no doubt, but based on the career numbers to date as well as Monny's knack for scoring GWG, I think there's definitely room to make a case for either guy at this stage.

[Love]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

Again when you constantly go around saying this team won't win with Monahan as it's top Centre, I'd imagine you'd like the game of a lot of players more than Sean.

I don’t think there are many cup caliber centres in the league in general. It’s no intended disrespect to him that I don’t consider him one. In my opinion there are maybe 15 of them in the league and they’ve already been mentioned itt.

Come playoff time when teams gameplan and suffocate Gaudreau do you have faith that he’ll be able to drive the play to generate offense for his line? I don’t, and thus for that reason I just can’t put him in that upper tier.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Love

I don’t think there are many cup caliber centres in the league in general. It’s no intended disrespect to him that I don’t consider him one. In my opinion there are maybe 15 of them in the league and they’ve already been mentioned itt.

Come playoff time when teams are gameplan and suffocate Gaudreau do you have faith that he’ll be able to generate offense for his line? I don’t, and thus I just can’t put him in that upper tier.

I do, recognizing he's still young and has room to grow.

There are question marks surrounding many of the other players you're talking about, and the likes of Toews and Kopitar (at that time) wouldn't necessarily have been the type of Centres you're alluding to yet they've won several cups.

I think it's a poor take all the way around. You have a habit of looking at this team with a glass half empty slant. Just like when you were pining for New Jersey's youth early this season while blasting the majority of our younger players.

I'll take my chances with the 23 year old who scored a goal a game last year in the playoffs and who since has become one of the most clutch game winning goal scorers in the league any time.

As a fan of this team it's hard to comprehend anyone who wouldn't.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Love

...Come playoff time when teams gameplan and suffocate Gaudreau do you have faith that he’ll be able to drive the play to generate offense for his line? I don’t, and thus for that reason I just can’t put him in that upper tier.

He sure had no problems driving that line in the playoffs last year. I have complete confidence in Monahan.

[Classic_Sniper]

The thing I realized with Monahan, it’s that he has to always be moving his feet. Guy has an elite shot and when he moves his feet, Johnny will find him and he’ll get his chances. He’s not naturally a fast skater, so when he doesn’t move his feet, he’s not nearly as effective in either end and that can make him invisible at times. Hopefully he continues to work on his foot speed and strength on the puck in the summer because he can be amongst the very best centers in the league.

[Love]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

He sure had no problems driving that line in the playoffs last year. I have complete confidence in Monahan.

I’m genuinely glad you feel that way. This is a non-issue.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Bergeron
Eichel?
Barkov?
Giroux
Matthews?
Draisaitl

Bergeron and Giroux I will give you, but I am not convinced about any of the others.

[Love]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

You have a habit of looking at this team with a glass half empty slant.

Umm. I really don’t. And that’s also a kind of weird + unnecessary comment to make. I wish we had an upgrade at 1C, but other than that I’m fairly optimistic about this team and for the most part like the work BT has done. You must be confusing me with someone else.

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=163214

[jonkaupp]

I actually don’t think it’s that important to rank them. I guess it’s fun but it doesn’t mean a lot. Monahan is ours and he’s an excellent player, probably the best centermen we’ve had since.... Christ a long time.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Love

Umm. I really don’t.

You do. I mentioned another instance above that stood out and the Monahan one tends to be something you bring up semi frequently. It's a particularly odd take that tends to stand out. I'm not interested in reviewing your posting history but I've seen the comment made several times in several threads about this team lacking a true 1C etc. You've brought it up after several losses in frustration. There are quite a few people who seem to get very low after a loss or two.

As I said, the Monahan questioning is particularly hard to fathom when there are just as many question marks surrounding centres you apparently covet above him.

Between his scoring a goal a game last playoffs and continuing to be one of the more clutch scorers in the NHL, he seems to inspire more and more confidence as he gets older (and he's still quite young).

[Duffalufagus]

Originally Posted by dieHARDflameZ

McDavid is killing penalties because he’s fast and creates short handed opportunities, not because he’s good in his own end. He is one of if not the best offensive players in the game but he doesn’t play both ends of the ice as often as he should be and flies the zone A LOT.

And, they have a historically bad PK. He’s no PK’er

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by jonkaupp

I actually don’t think it’s that important to rank them. I guess it’s fun but it doesn’t mean a lot. Monahan is ours and he’s an excellent player, probably the best centermen we’ve had since.... Christ a long time.

I agree the order isn't important, but I think we can all agree he's right in the thick of things in and around the 12 - 17 range of all the centres in the NHL. Which is absolutely and unequivocally a first line centre (at 23 and still improving).

[calgarywinning]

Monahan has also gotten bigger, filled out and has a lot more hockey IQ to date. This certainly will make him better in the playoffs then previous seasons.

[Kovaz]

I think it's really easy to have a grass-is-greener perspective about a player like Monahan. Monahan in particular has a really polarized skill set. His strengths are incredibly strong. He's got maybe the sneakiest release in the league, and he might be the best player in the league at finding holes in D coverage. That skillset is so rare and so unique, and it's a huge part of our team's success.

That said, the majority of other top Cs in the league are much better puck carriers than him, which is I think the biggest source of Monahan criticism. Most other top guys have either great skating and stick handling allowing them to weave through defenders and find space; or size, strength, and balance allowing them to shield the puck to create space. Monahan doesn't really possess either in spades, so he has to rely on having a linemate like Gaudreau to handle the puck-carrying responsibilities. It works, but if Gaudreau is a little off his game their line as a whole really suffers.

He really doesn't fit the #1C archetype and it's easy to want a more typical center in that role, but Monahan is every bit as good as the players we'd covet as a replacement. Just in a different way.

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

I agree the order isn't important, but I think we can all agree he's right in the thick of things in and around the 12 - 17 range of all the centres in the NHL. Which is absolutely and unequivocally a first line centre (at 23 and still improving).

Ya for sure. And a lot of the guys that I would say are for sure ahead of him are also 30+ and will start going the other way. If Mony keeps having seasons like this with 35-40 goals you can bet he’ll be considered up there among the better centres in the league. This is starting to look like his big breakout season to the upper echelon, now he just needs to consistently stay there.

And to everyone saying he can’t produce on his own, how many centers would produce the totals they did if they didn’t have 1st line quality line mates, like come on. Monahan has proven he can produce without Gaudreau but obviously he gonna take at least a bit of a hit on point totals. It’s a silly premise.

[CaptainCrunch]

If we're including contracts in the discussion, I'm gonna pass on Drai.