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The Canadiens have made an offer to Sean Monahan
Credit: Getty Images

Kent Hughes made it quite clear in a press conference on Monday: the Habs were interested in adding a top-6 forward via free agents… but not at any price.

And when I say at any price, I’m talking about the expression, not the amount of money. Because at that level, the Habs were still prepared to offer a generous contract in terms of value per year.

The problem? The Habs didn’t want to give away long contracts.

Hughes is the first to say it: he knows that top players normally want a multi-year contract. So he expected it to be a difficult mandate.

But since he didn’t feel the need to add a forward at any price, he was comfortable with simply offering what he could and seeing what would come of it.

The Habs were two or three years away from the Predators’ five-year offer for Marchessault… and we can assume the same is true of Sean Monahan, who headed to Columbus.

Because yes, according to Marc Antoine Godin, the Flanelle have made Monahan a contract offer. That’s what the journalist told Radio-Canada’s Tellement Hockey podcast.

With Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak and Jake Evans in town, you’d think the plan for the Habs, who were (and still are, truth be told) looking for at least one winger for Kirby Dach, was to put Monahan on the former Blackhawks’ wing.

And we know that recipe worked in 2022-2023.

For Monahan, having a five-year contract valued at $5.5 million a year and being able to play center in Columbus was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

I don’t understand how Columbus could give so much to a guy so often injured… but that’s another issue. #July1stRegrets

All that to say, we understand why Hughes took a chance on Monahan. But looking at the contract the former Flames player signed in Ohio, we understand why the Habs GM passed on the deal this week, but we also understand why he decided to trade Monahan to the Jets at the deadline.

And ultimately, it contributed greatly to the arrival of Michael Hage in the organization.


Overtime

– Vladimir Tarasenko in Dallas?

– The Habs aren’t done… trying.

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