Sean Monahan’s biggest offseason

[MikePatton]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I've been speculating personal life for a while. Maybe "boring monahan" is actually depressed Monahan.

Yeah - me too. Sometimes easy to forget that these people have lives outside of hockey, and while ideally one's personal life shouldn't affect their work life, it happens all the time.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

still tough to say.

Monahan was probably the best Flames forward vs Anaheim and one of the worst versus the Avs... so, based on what was evidenced by the playoffs, the jury is still out.

i would tend to agree that age isn't a factor...he's played 500 games in the NHL now...

This glosses over the real situation for a number of players which take time to figure out how to play and succeed in the playoffs. Not every player is what he will always be after 500 games—especially not where post-season hockey is concerned. A few players have taken years to learn how to play their game and to be successful at it in the playoffs, so I don't merely assume that Monahan will now be the same player he is today into the future.

[TheSquatch]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I've been speculating personal life for a while. Maybe "boring monahan" is actually depressed Monahan.

I want to quote this and thank you for the post directly. Yes, maybe there's something else at play here.

People assume pro athletes "have it all" but depression, bi-polar, etc, these things don't pay attention to that kind of thing, they can get anyone.

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

And your point is?

just beyond your grasp?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by TheSquatch

I want to quote this and thank you for the post directly. Yes, maybe there's something else at play here.

People assume pro athletes "have it all" but depression, bi-polar, etc, these things don't pay attention to that kind of thing, they can get anyone.

Ok let's maybe not get ahead of ourselves here fellas. There's been no indication of any of this, so until something is brought to light, let's just not.

Monahan has the ability to do the single hardest thing in hockey: score goals. He does it about as consistently as any player these days. He's suffering through a pretty big slump, but signs are there that point toward him being able to bounce back. He needs to find his confidence again.

I think it's the same thing that happened to Laine. At least with Monahan he has more than just the goal scoring dimension (faceoffs, leadership, hockey IQ). Laine does nothing but score.

[Stanley]

Perhaps a full summer of extensive skating and strength training could go a long way..

Rather than just poo-poo all over Monahan, I think some intelligent usage of Mony and Lindy on separate lines both as C could really pay off.

[DazzlinDino]

I would like to see BT find an upgrade to complement the top 6. Someone who can move up and down the top 6, has speed, skill. Another Tkachuk, Bennett type player but one that clicks on the top line. The top line is skilled but not dominant. Monahan may come back stronger, faster but I still think that line needs a driver.

[Stanley]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

I would like to see BT find an upgrade to complement the top 6. Someone who can move up and down the top 6, has speed, skill. Another Tkachuk, Bennett type player but one that clicks on the top line. The top line is skilled but not dominant. Monahan may come back stronger, faster but I still think that line needs a driver.

Yea I agree. But someone cheap lol

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

I would like to see BT find an upgrade to complement the top 6. Someone who can move up and down the top 6, has speed, skill. Another Tkachuk, Bennett type player but one that clicks on the top line. The top line is skilled but not dominant. Monahan may come back stronger, faster but I still think that line needs a driver.

Originally Posted by Stanley

Yea I agree. But someone cheap lol

Yeah, all we need is someone who is fast, skilled, gritty and who is capable of playing in the top two lines. For like $3M or so.

[Stanley]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Yeah, all we need is someone who is fast, skilled, gritty and who is capable of playing in the top two lines. For like $3M or so.

Byron? Wait he's not cheap anymore is he...

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Stanley

Byron? Wait he's not cheap anymore is he...

I'd probably want a bit bigger guy. But yeah. He's $3.4M which is still pretty cheap for a 20 goal guy. He is 30 though (time flies). And his contract is 4 more years.

[TheSquatch]

Unfortunately, that guy is James Neal.

Hopefully he gets his game together next year.

I mean, Monahan wasn't great down the stretch but Neal... was on another level of bad this year.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by TheSquatch

Unfortunately, that guy is James Neal.



Hopefully he gets his game together next year.



I mean, Monahan wasn't great down the stretch but Neal... was on another level of bad this year.

Unfortunately, Neal is not fast or skilled. And gritty left the building last season. He is, or was, a goal scoring shooter. There's no way he can or should be counted on to drive anything.

[Dajazz]

The guy played hockey with a broken thumb. Professional hockey, as a centre. I doubt I drive a car with a broken thumb.

Last year he battled through injuries that resulted in three (or four?) surgeries.

He goes to the hard places, where he scores on rebounds and deflections. The guy is a warrior through and through.

He’s an important player to Gaudreau and the first line does not work without him. He does a lot of small things right. He led the team in take aways to start with, but he doesn’t lay out people like mofoing Scott Stevens or beat people up like Iginla, so he sucks.

He slumped, played injured and the team underperformed.

The guy is the epitome of CLUTCH. How many GWG HAS HE SCORED?! Overtime, late 3rd, pots a goal, win. He has the second all time highest GWG in a season, leading chumps like Iginla, Niewendyk and Fleury. He’s fourth all time Flame for Christ’s sake. At age 24.

I get it, I’m pissed about the first round too and Monahan needs to improve skating and core strength. That’s fine, but calling him garbage and saying he sucks just shows how ignorant some people are.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Yeah, all we need is someone who is fast, skilled, gritty and who is capable of playing in the top two lines. For like $3M or so.

We already have him, his name is Sam Bennett. Wait and see.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

We already have him, his name is Sam Bennett. Wait and see.

Now wouldn't that be awesome.

[TheSquatch]

Originally Posted by Dajazz

The guy played hockey with a broken thumb. Professional hockey, as a centre. I doubt I drive a car with a broken thumb.

Last year he battled through injuries that resulted in three (or four?) surgeries.

He goes to the hard places, where he scores on rebounds and deflections. The guy is a warrior through and through.

He’s an important player to Gaudreau and the first line does not work without him. He does a lot of small things right. He led the team in take aways to start with, but he doesn’t lay out people like mofoing Scott Stevens or beat people up like Iginla, so he sucks.

He slumped, played injured and the team underperformed.

The guy is the epitome of CLUTCH. How many GWG HAS HE SCORED?! Overtime, late 3rd, pots a goal, win. He has the second all time highest GWG in a season, leading chumps like Iginla, Niewendyk and Fleury. He’s fourth all time Flame for Christ’s sake. At age 24.

I get it, I’m pissed about the first round too and Monahan needs to improve skating and core strength. That’s fine, but calling him garbage and saying he sucks just shows how ignorant some people are.

I don't think most of this thread is "Monahan sux booooooo". I think we are genuinely concerned/curious about what the hell happened in the last 1/2 of the season, and why he just couldn't get going. He looked shockingly slow in the playoffs, that's not a "thumb" thing.

I agree he's a warrior, he played through all kinds of pain last year and presumably this year too. But a whole bunch of us see an obvious lack of intensity in his game, a lack of "battle" for a better word, when the going got tougher. Will next year show a resurgence? We all better hope so. He's got great hands and seemingly enough game sense to make a difference. So... go out there and make a difference! He failed to do that for Feb, Mar, and April.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

This glosses over the real situation for a number of players which take time to figure out how to play and succeed in the playoffs. Not every player is what he will always be after 500 games—especially not where post-season hockey is concerned. A few players have taken years to learn how to play their game and to be successful at it in the playoffs, so I don't merely assume that Monahan will now be the same player he is today into the future.

don't believe I am glossing it over... i mean in another 500 games he gets a big ceremony and silver stick presentation because playing 1000 games in the NHL is a big deal... he's halfway there already.

At what point is age and games played stop being a factor then, if 500 isn't enough? 750?

some guys never figure it out, and that's ok - like i said, some guys are regular season players and aren't clutch playoff players.

based off of the two playoffs, the jury is out on Monahan...but the next appearance will be big, imo, to see if/how he bounces back

[calgaryfox]

Originally Posted by TheSquatch

I don't think most of this thread is "Monahan sux booooooo". I think we are genuinely concerned/curious about what the hell happened in the last 1/2 of the season, and why he just couldn't get going. He looked shockingly slow in the playoffs, that's not a "thumb" thing.

I agree he's a warrior, he played through all kinds of pain last year and presumably this year too. But a whole bunch of us see an obvious lack of intensity in his game, a lack of "battle" for a better word, when the going got tougher. Will next year show a resurgence? We all better hope so. He's got great hands and seemingly enough game sense to make a difference. So... go out there and make a difference! He failed to do that for Feb, Mar, and April.

I had to do a quick double take to make sure we were talking about the same guy until I looked up the definition of "warrior"

war·ri·or
/ˈwôrēər/
noun
noun: warrior; plural noun: warriors; noun: warrior pose; plural noun: warrior poses
1.
(especially in former times) a brave or experienced soldier or fighter.
synonyms: fighter, soldier, fighting man, serviceman, combatant
"fearsome warriors"
2.
any of a number of standing poses in yoga in which the legs are held apart and the arms are stretched outwards.
"when you return to downward dog after the first round, add warrior poses I and II"

I guess you are right.

[Split98]

Monahan is very good at finishing plays, and when the 1st line was going he was finding ways to be dangerous and open up chances.

What at least has me (2x Monahan jersey owner, FTR) entertaining the concept of moving on is his value and his future. His value could be at a peak or a valley this off-season depending on how much faith you have in him figuring out what ailed him and his peers ASB onwards. He's money when he's going, but when he craters it seems like he's not coming back - and he didn't. Small sample size, and I'm not looking at any stats to base this opinion on so it could be wrong... but his disappearing act feels too familiar not to be a potential trend.

He's not alone with lessons to learn from ASB on so it's tough to determine who impacted who. But I wouldn't say (and neither did he) that a broken thumb really explains all of it. I was playing rec volleyball not long after breaking an index finger so I think it really only could excuse a small period where he struggled. After reading a bunch in here and elsewhere, I don't really know what went wrong for him.

Sorry if this was already brought up, but wasn't there an off-season where he came back jacked (and tatted) after training with McGrattan? I seem to remember him thinking that he looked significantly stronger along the boards that season, though I don't remember what his game was before that. Either way, I get the feeling that evolving his game isn't out of reach. With Craig talking about skating, there's an optimistic part of me that thinks he could surprise us next year.

Brad will thankfully be a better judge of that than I. As it'd be great to see this season put behind him and GWG Moneyhands sticks around past the break