Where Does Monahan Play Next Season?

[jeffman]

He should play most of next season in Junior. Playing against fully grown men before he fully develops his physical frame will only lead to injuries that might harm his development later. I think the Flames playing most of next season with Stajan,Backlund, Knight and Reinhart should be just fine

[cowtown75]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

No. Again, Ottawa could allow it but I can't think of any examples of this happening.

What if we gave them Matt Stajan ? lol kidding

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

Forgive my ignorance thing here, but, is this just a CHL thing ? or does this also apply to the QMJHL and ECHL ?

It's an agreement in place with the CHL. They might also have agreements with other leagues, but I don't know, personally.

But the ECHL is a pro league so that wouldn't apply at all.

[cowtown75]

Originally Posted by jeffman

He should play most of next season in Junior. Playing against fully grown men before he fully develops his physical frame will only lead to injuries that might harm his development later. I think the Flames playing most of next season with Stajan,Backlund, Knight and Reinhart should be just fine

I know what you are saying, but, I don't neccessarily buy that theory. He is not exactly a small kid and is bigger than an 18 year old Toews when he started, or a Kane etc. Barkov has been playing with fully grown men since he was 16 (sounds gross, I know) and so have a few others.

[Karl]

I think Monahan will at least get the 9-game trial. After that is anyone's guess.

I see 2 possible scenarios of how I think think the centre situation should play out next season barring any trades or whatever:

1) Backlund-Stajan-Monahan-Knight

OR

2) Backlund-Stajan-Knight-Reinhart (Backlund-Stajan-Monahan-Knight during Monahan's 9-game trial run)

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

Forgive my ignorance thing here, but, is this just a CHL thing ? or does this also apply to the QMJHL and ECHL ?

The CHL is comprised of the following 3 "leagues":

WHL
OHL
QMJHL

It would be a lot clearer if the league was called the CHL and they had Western, Ontario, and Quebec divisions.

The ECHL is just a lower level farm team that is affiliated with the parent NHL club. Think of it like baseball, AHL = AAA, ECHL = AA. Not sure if there is even a league lower than the ECHL though.

[cowtown75]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

The CHL is comprised of the following 3 "leagues":

WHL
OHL
QMJHL

It would be a lot clearer if the league was called the CHL and they had Western, Ontario, and Quebec divisions.

The ECHL is just a lower level farm team that is affiliated with the parent NHL club. Think of it like baseball, AHL = AAA, ECHL = AA. Not sure if there is even a league lower than the ECHL though.

Awesome, thank you.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

Not sure if there is even a league lower than the ECHL though.

At present, the only one that has lasted very long is the Central Hockey League. (I imagine those guys get pretty burned when we keep using their initials to refer to major junior hockey.)

Then you have small-time circuits like the Ligue nord-américaine de hockey, which is restricted to former Q players, and the SPHL, which operates in towns where even Gary Bettman couldn't put a team. Below that you have fly-by-night leagues like the United Hockey League (folded 2010), but I don't think there are any operating at the moment. None of those leagues pay enough to save a hockey player from asking, 'Do you want fries with that?'

I think a few of the Central League teams are affiliated with AHL teams (and so, indirectly, with NHL organizations), but the leagues below that level are strictly wildcat. So there is really no hockey equivalent of a single-A or rookie league baseball team.

The actual hockey played in these places is nothing special, but I like to check in on them from time to time. Teams and leagues come and go so fast that there's always a good soap opera going on somewhere. If you think the situation in Phoenix is a gong show, or that Daryl Katz is a questionable owner for a hockey team, read up on the Danbury Trashers. You'll feel good about life for a week, just because you were not involved.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

At present, the only one that has lasted very long is the Central Hockey League. (I imagine those guys get pretty burned when we keep using their initials to refer to major junior hockey.)

Then you have small-time circuits like the Ligue nord-américaine de hockey, which is restricted to former Q players, and the SPHL, which operates in towns where even Gary Bettman couldn't put a team. Below that you have fly-by-night leagues like the United Hockey League (folded 2010), but I don't think there are any operating at the moment. None of those leagues pay enough to save a hockey player from asking, 'Do you want fries with that?'

I think a few of the Central League teams are affiliated with AHL teams (and so, indirectly, with NHL organizations), but the leagues below that level are strictly wildcat. So there is really no hockey equivalent of a single-A or rookie league baseball team.

The actual hockey played in these places is nothing special, but I like to check in on them from time to time. Teams and leagues come and go so fast that there's always a good soap opera going on somewhere. If you think the situation in Phoenix is a gong show, or that Daryl Katz is a questionable owner for a hockey team, read up on the Danbury Trashers. You'll feel good about life for a week, just because you were not involved.

The owner of the Trashers sounds like the inspiration for Tony Soprano. Even his 17 year old GM son is named AJ.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

The owner of the Trashers sounds like the inspiration for Tony Soprano. Even his 17 year old GM son is named AJ.

Yeah, except that Tony Soprano was not a booger-eating moron. I mean, what kind of a mobster gets nailed for wire fraud because of salary-cap evasion?!

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

Feaster said they were looking to draft an NHL ready player at #6, but take that it for what it's worth. He's all but guaranteed to get a 9 game audition but if he isn't head and shoulders above Backlund (unless Backs makes major leaps as well) or Stajan I hope he heads back to Ottawa to refine his game. Unless a minor miracle happens we won't be getting a sniff of the playoffs next year, so burning a year of his ELC to play for a bottom feeding team isn't great asset management.

He will get the nine games.

The rest will depend on how much he can improve his skating. They won't keep him if he can't keep up and will push him back to junior where can succeed and improve.

Lots of them say they are NHL ready out of the draft but few of them are.

Cowperson

[You Need a Thneed]

Sochi.

[The Swedish Flame]

Wikipedia gives me the following list of minor professional leagues in NA:

Minor professional
American Hockey League (1936) (United States; Canada)
ECHL (1988 as East Coast Hockey League) (United States)
Central Hockey League (1992) (United States; Canada)
Southern Professional Hockey League (2004) (United States)
Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (2004) (Canada)
Federal Hockey League (2010) (United States; Canada)

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

Forgive my ignorance thing here, but, is this just a CHL thing ? or does this also apply to the QMJHL and ECHL ?

Since it wasn't fully spelled out, and others may not also be aware:

The NHL and the CHL (which represents the WHL, OHL and QMJHL) have an agreement that says any player drafted out of one of those leagues cannot be assigned to a minor professional league until they are either in their 20-year-old season or have played four full seasons in the CHL. This agreement exists to protect the CHL, as a lot of these 19-year-old first rounders are their star players. Star players sell tickets.

The nine game limit determines if we burn a year of an ELC or not. The Flames have only two options as it relates to Monahan's placement: Either he's in Calgary, or he's returned to junior. He isn't eligible to play in the AHL until next year. Even if he plays 10 games and burns that first year of the contract, if we send him down, he has to go to junior. (Philly did this a few years ago with Luca Sbisa.)

As to his rights in the OHL, the 67s are a rebuilding team, and they know that Monahan will not be coming back for his overage season. Unless that team were to pull off a surprising launch up the OHL standings, it is a virtual guarantee he will be traded to a contender before the end of the season. Sending him back also guarantees he will have a crack at the world junior team.

[saillias]

Will Ottawa be a bad team again this year?

[Resolute 14]

Depends on the competence of their management.

The Hitmen were the worst team in the WHL in 2010-11 after being dominant for several years, then got back into the playoffs in 2011-12, and reached game 7 of the conference finals last year. Don't know the OHL well enough to judge if the 67s are likely to rebound similarly. But turnarounds can happen much faster in junior than they might in the NHL.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by saillias

Will Ottawa be a bad team again this year?

I was wondering that as well. Any Ottawa residents/67 fans out there? I know they were terrible last year, but they also traded away a few good players, including Ceci, so did they get back young player/picks that can play this year?

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Technically, his age isn't the problem. There are 18 year olds that play in the AHL.

It's that there is an agreement in place where players whose rights are held by a CHL team cannot play in the AHL. The Flames could potentially ask Ottawa to relinquish his rights, but they are under no obligation to do so.

No it is that he was drafted out of the CHL.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

Agreed, but can you force Ottawa to trade him ?

No forcing needed. Ottawa would basically be in a situation where they know Monahan wouldn't be coming back for 14-15. So unless they're a playoff contender it is in their best interest to deal him to a contender to help themselves rebuild. Exactly the same rationale why we traded Iginla. Better to get something for your star than lose him for nothing.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by cowtown75

Forgive my ignorance thing here, but, is this just a CHL thing ? or does this also apply to the QMJHL and ECHL ?

Huh? The QMJHL is one of the the 3 leagues in the CHL. The WHL and OHL are the other two.