No. 2 center: What if the solution were… Sean Monahan?

Marc-Olivier Cook
No. 2 center: What if the solution were… Sean Monahan?
Credit: Jason Mowry/Getty Images

The Canadiens are still looking for their second-line center.

That was the case last summer, when everyone was wondering who would get the chance to play alongside Ivan Demidov.

And it's still the case this year, since Kent Hughes hasn't been able to pull off the big move we were all expecting in Montreal. 

What if the Canadiens' solution were… Sean Monahan?

That's the idea a reader named Y. Perron sent to us via email at DLC. And I decided to analyze Mr. Perron's idea for the sake of the discussion… because on paper, it's true that it might make sense on some levels.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Sean Monahan is 31 years old, and even though he's coming off a tougher season, we know he's still capable of contributing.

He still racked up 57 points (19 goals) in just 54 games during the '24–'25 season. That wasn't all that long ago. 

But where it gets interesting is when you consider the player's ties to the club. Monahan knows the city well because he's played for the Habs before. He's familiar with Martin St-Louis's system, and the guys in the locker room know him, too…

But above all, we're talking about a guy who probably wouldn't cost an arm and a leg and who could serve as a stopgap solution until Michael Hage (or another quality center) arrives.

Add to that the fact that Monahan isn't exactly raking in the big bucks at $5.5 million per season (through the summer of 2029)…

On the flip side, we know that Kent Hughes doesn't want to pay top dollar for a player who would just be filling a gap for a short period of time. And we know Monahan isn't the fastest skater on the ice: does he have enough gas left in the tank to keep up with a dynamic player like Ivan Demidov?

There are pros and cons to the idea of acquiring Sean Monahan from Columbus. And it seems that, upon reflection, I'm pretty much 50/50 on the idea.

But what about you? What do you think?


In a Nutshell

– Good news.

– A real machine.

– Wow!

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