Yesterday, Brad Treliving, GM of the Flames, celebrated his birthday by giving himself a present: he signed Nazem Kadri. The free agent, whom many people linked to the Islanders, accepted $ 49 million over seven years to play in Alberta.
In the end, the GM may have lost two American 100-point scorers (Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk), but he managed to (in particular) get his hands on two excellent Canadian players (Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri) in the long term and to be at least a year old from MacKenzie Weegar.
To add the newest piece to his puzzle yesterday, Treliving was forced to jettison salary via Sean Monahan and attach a first-round pick to it to convince the CH. That’s what the club had to do to win right now and I don’t think the discontent in Calgary is out of control.
And that’s good for them.
Thank you, Mony. pic.twitter.com/dZQBTJcxfV
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) August 19, 2022
On the other side, in Montreal, Kent Hughes is not in the same position as his Alberta counterpart. The CEO of CH knows that his club will fight more for Connor Bedard than anything else and he acted accordingly.
So the two leaders were good dance partners on that one.
What you need to know is that the Canadian thinks in the long term and that the short term is not necessarily important. This is why the Canadian can agree to go get a Monahan at $6.375 million (even if he hasn’t been worth that amount for a few years) over a year since the carrot (the first choice obtained with the player) is more important than the batting (the centre’s salary) for the club.
Think regarding it: whether or not Monahan is able to start the seasonif he is a good player at the deadline for transactions, the management of the CH might retain 50% of his salary and send him elsewhere as a rental player.
Getting a first pick to take a one-year deal in a lost year and (potentially) picking up a draft pick next March if he has a good season is exactly the definition of making asset managementor to properly manage its payroll.
Afterwards, it will also be up to the GM to properly manage the conditions of the first choice obtained to have the best possible return.
Depending how the trade conditions play out in the Sean Monahan trade, Montreal might potentially end up with any of the following picks:
2024 1st (CGY)
2025 1st (CGY)
2025 1st (FLA)
2026 1st (CGY)
2026 1st (FLA)The #habs might also get 2025 3rd (CGY) or 2025 4th (CGY).
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) August 18, 2022
But that’s a nice problem to have in the future, isn’t it?
Note that it is to settle all the details of the transaction that the official announcement was slow in coming from the Canadian. It’s really complex as a transaction, we’ll tell each other.
I just finished deciphering the conditions. It’s extremely ingenious. In short, Hughes is giving himself additional options to potentially get a higher pick than a late 1st round pick if certain stars align.
— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) August 18, 2022
It is due to the injury of Carey Price, who should not play this year, that the leaders of the Canadian were able to add salary like that. This might possibly not have been done before since the goalkeeper’s situation is changing day by day.
The timing was therefore good to add a first choice in Montreal. And such an asset, it can be traded by 2025, don’t forget…
In terms of hockey as such, Monahan is not a bad player. He has often been injured in the past (he had surgery on both hips for two years), but now he is motivated by the idea of getting a fresh start.
He is not 100% yet, but he will do everything to become the player he was.
No matter what angle one chooses to analyze Monahan’s arrival, one fact remains.
The CH gets their hands on a guy only 27 years old who has scored more than 20 goals in 7 of his 9 seasons in the NHL.
Healthy and confident (CC Martin St-Louis ????), it can be ????.
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) August 19, 2022
Whoever is at the end of the contract will also have things to prove and the CH, which might exchange him, might also decide to extend his stay in town. He skates a few times a week with the goal of being able to start the season at the same time as everyone else.
And he will want to make a difference in Montreal.
Sean Monahan happy to join the Canadiens! ???? pic.twitter.com/55jjx6VavX
— RDS (@RDSca) August 19, 2022
He might perhaps, if he performs well and comes back healthy, take the pressure off a Nick Suzuki (as Dany Dubé believes) or on the center line in general, who knows?
I wouldn’t necessarily put my shirt on it, but it’s an (another) interesting bet from a club that can and should afford such bets. With Michael Matheson and Kirby Dach, the CH will look for upside.
With Monahan, Kent Hughes once more gets his hands on a player who was selected in the first round, like Kirby Dach and Mike Matheson.
Players who have talent and who will have the will to prove that they can play an important role in a team. #CH
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) August 19, 2022
He is also a player that the GM of the Canadian has been targeting for a while since discussions began during the summer before gaining importance this week.
Kent Hughes, who has nothing at the moment that is regarding to materialize, therefore persevered in the file.
Due to the timing of the news of Price (which releases money on the mass) and because the Canadian builds for the future, he chose not to pay a first choice to add a contract to the Kevin Fiala, but to receive a first choice to welcome a guy who had a negative value since the club works for the long term, not the short term.
This is how Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton want to rebuild the club.
Montreal #Canadiens now have five 1st round picks over the next 3 years, and 27 total
Rd 1: 5x
Rd 2: 3x
Rd 3: 3x
Rd 4: 5x
Rd 5: 4x
Rd 6: 3x
Rd 7: 4xhttps://t.co/lffSdAHDyf pic.twitter.com/p7K62aQ835— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) August 18, 2022
How long will this transition last? I do not know. It’s hard to say, but one thing is certain: they don’t do things halfway these days. The club is all-in on the future.
I have the feeling that the day when it will go up, it will be done quickly too. Sort of like the Rangers, like.
A lot of
– The CH is still discussing with its RFA, Cayden Primeau and Kirby Dach.
Habs GM Kent Hughes says they’re still in talks with RFAs Kirby Dach & Cayden Primeau
– David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) August 18, 2022
– Big show from colleague Max Truman at 11am on the radio!
We are already ready for the last of my summer term at @bpmsportsradio. And we didn’t skimp on the guests:@ChantalMachabee, @E_Duhaime, @1642Montreal, @BoxingTownQC and Marc-Antoine Dequoy of @MTLAlouettes.
On air at 11 a.m. this morning! pic.twitter.com/vZgx98cb75
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) August 19, 2022
– That’s my kind of humor.
Thanks to the Canadiens for the amazing experience playing where hockey is religion. Will always cherish my time I had here and the connections I made. There will always be a place in my heart for the Habs.
— Future Considerations (@FutureConsiders) August 18, 2022
– Shame.
Canadian prospect Petteri Nurmi is suffering from a virus which is why he hasn’t played since Game 2 of the preliminary round. His tournament is over.
We’re not talking regarding COVID, by the way. He has symptoms similar to those of mononucleosis.
— Kevin Dubé (@KDubeJDQ) August 18, 2022
– Big win for the Blue Jays yesterday.
Jose Berrios got the better of Frankie Montas and George Springer (five hits) led the offense. https://t.co/FNltqMpRRW
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) August 19, 2022