1. Sean Monahan
So far, I’ve only suggested some minor changes to the Calgary Flames. But they’re going to need to make some bigger ones. My guess is either Johnny Gaudreau or Sean Monahan won’t be with the Flames next season. Considering the former has been in trade rumors, that would be my guess. But if the Flames are smart, Monahan will be the guy they trade.
Gaudreau deserves a share of the blame for his past postseason struggles. But this postseason, Gaudreau was a lot better. He had seven points in 10 games and was arguably the Flames best forward. Gaudreau was one of the few Flames forwards to actually show up in Game 6 against the Dallas Stars.
Monahan is a very good player, but he’s no longer the best fit in Calgary. He’s a great goal scorer and he’s never scored below 20 goals in a season, but he honestly doesn’t really bring that much else to the table. Monahan’s not a guy who can win too many puck battles. He’s not good at retrieving pucks. Monahan’s not very good in a cycle offense either.
Also, I’m willing to bet Monahan has more trade value than Gaudreau because Monahan’s a center. Finally, if the Calgary Flames are going to trade Gaudreau or Monahan, they’ve got to replace them. Elias Lindholm could slot in as the number one center. Get a wing who can do the dirty work, win puck battles, and retrieve pucks, and suddenly, the Flames first line looks a whole lot better.
The Flames could probably even get that wing as a part of the return for trading Monahan. Replacing Monahan is easier than replacing Gaudreau. So that’s why I’d trade Monahan instead of Gaudreau.