Sean Monahan: Nick Suzuki doesn’t look happy about the deal

It’s amazing how fast things can move in the NHL.

On Wednesday night, the Flames traded Elias Lindholm to Vancouver… And the market got so intense that Kent Hughes traded Sean Monahan earlier today, even though the trade deadline is more than a month away.

Monahan was a popular player in the room and it shows. Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach greeted his departure with posts on Instagram… And Nick Suzuki seems to be bitter about the deal that sent the veteran to Winnipeg.

As part of the All-Star Game, Suzuki was the guest of Jesse Pollock (BarDown) on a special show that also featured Cale Makar…

And Pollock, who is a Jets fan, kind of mocked the Habs captain by saying that Monahan wanted to be traded to Winnipeg.

Suzuki’s reaction says it all:

Nick Suzuki is a good sport: he responds by saying that it stings him a little because it’s so recent… But then he also says that Monahan is incredible and that the Jets have acquired an excellent field hockey player.

We’ve learned over the years that the Canadiens’ captain is a man of few words. That said, you can see it in his face that he’s disappointed to see his friend go, and that’s normal.

On the other side of the coin, the Jets fans and organization seem genuinely pleased with the deal that was completed earlier today.

As Jonathan Bernier (Journal de Montréal) reported, Kevin Cheveldayoff told reporters that Monahan was the team’s best option…

Both on the ice and in the bedroom:

The Jets GM says he’s been impressed with Monahan’s health since the start of the season, but he especially likes the way the veteran handled the youngsters in Montreal.

He believes that the Habs veteran could greatly help Cole Perfetti with his development, which makes sense because Monahan has had his (moral) part to play in the progression of some of the Habs’ youngsters.

But at the end of the day, Kent Hughes made a decision to help his team in the long term.

It’s sad to see Sean Monahan go because we’ve grown to love him, but that’s part of the game. And it’s hard, too, to criticize Kent Hughes’ management in this matter, when the GM was able to get his hands on ANOTHER first-round pick for the forward’s services.

In brief

– It’s going to be pretty exciting.

– Speaking of the captain!

Hey captain Nick pic.twitter.com/OEDwq14Ten

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 2, 2024

– Sometimes, you just have to pick the right moment.

– Indeed.