Dominos continue to fall, and the Winnipeg Jets have snatched their center ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan is headed to Winnipeg after Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff traded a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in 2027 for Monahan. The third is conditional if Winnipeg wins the Stanley Cup, the pick will not transfer if the Jets fail to win the Stanley Cup.
Wednesday’s Elias Lindholm trade sparked more interest in Monahan. The Jets sit six points back of the first-place Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference with two games in hand. This move also comes at a time of need for the Jets as their center depth took a significant hit, with Mark Scheifele having been out of the lineup with an injury. In Scheifele’s absence, the Jets have gone 2-3-1 and lost a 14-game point streak before the turbulence they’ve faced in the center’s absence.
Monahan, 29 years old, has 13 goals and 35 points in 49 games this season. He was limited to 25 games last year due to injury and has been steadily improving, which gave the Canadiens trade value. Two summers ago, the Canadiens received Monahan with a conditional first-round pick, now they receive two more picks for the veteran center.
Monahan is a pending unrestricted free agent, his $1.985 million contract makes it easier to move in the salary cap climate we currently live in. The trade has no salary retention; it is a pure pickup for the Jets, and they only move draft picks to get their guy.
In 730 career NHL games played with Montreal and Calgary, Monahan has scored 231 goals and 514 points. With the trade deadline market starting to open up, who do you think is traded next?
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