Brad Treliving was in a pinch in August 2022. He had just mourned the loss of Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau and was trying to calm the anger in Calgary.
He had just acquired Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar in the Tkachuk deal and was about to sign center Nazem Kadri to a seven-year, $49 million contract. But the Flames had no cap space and needed to shed a major contract.
Despite being 27, Sean Monahan was considered worn out. He had only 23 points in 65 games and his hips made him wince with every movement. Shedding his $6.3 million salary would allow Treliving to afford Kadri.
Kent Hughes sensed Treliving’s desperation, now the Maple Leafs’ GM. He also got assurances that Monahan’s hips were fixed. The Flames GM was so eager to get Kadri resolved that he offered the Canadiens a first-round pick to dump Monahan.
Even if he had not been able to play a single game in Montreal, the bet would have been won by the CH since it had just received a first-round pick and had space on the roster to absorb Monahan’s salary.
Monahan, the sixth overall pick in 2013, had a strong start in 2022 before injuring his leg. He agreed to a discounted contract for 2023-24 to boost his value, and Hughes got another first-round pick from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline.
For a center whose value was at an all-time low, Kent Hughes got a first-round pick that turned into Michael Hage, drafted 21st overall.e rank this summer, and a player to be drafted in 2025…
To listen to Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, he too was stuck like Treliving was two years ago, almost to the day. “It takes care of a potentially complicated situation, knowing that he didn’t want to play here anymore,” he told reporters Tuesday of Patrik Laine’s departure. “I don’t know how it would have played out if he had to show up (to training camp).”
Kent Hughes didn’t receive a first-round pick to accommodate Laine, the second overall pick behind Auston Matthews in 2016. That would have been indecent. But he didn’t cost anything. At least in terms of athletic value. Young defenseman Jordan Harris was traded to the Blue Jackets, but Montreal received a second-round pick in 2026, the value of a player of Harris’ caliber. Harris’ departure also decongests the left side of the defense.
In the worst case scenario, Laine is repeatedly injured, as was the case in recent seasons, drags his unhappiness along and is an unproductive player. But there will be no major consequences for the CH – except for Geoff Molson’s wallet, it must be said – since the organization has the financial flexibility to absorb his annual salary of $8.7 million for the next two seasons.
Laine, only 26, becomes the team’s highest-paid forward, but Hughes can justify it to captain Nick Suzuki since the contract was not negotiated by the Canadiens. Suzuki certainly won’t be spitting on reinforcements up front either.
In the best case scenario, Laine, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound natural goal scorer, gets healthy and reverts to the formidable forward he once was. Last season is forgettable, but a year earlier he had 52 points, including 22 goals, in 55 games. That’s 78 points, including 33 goals, prorated over a full season. His production was 56 points, including 26 goals, in 56 games two years earlier, or 82 points, including 38 goals, over a full season. Without a proper No. 1 center. He had 44 in his second NHL season, at just 19.
The acquisition of Laine will have to be approached like the acquisition of Monahan. Without inflating expectations, since he is a player with fragile shoulders, with two trade requests already under his belt and whose morale has been tested, to the point of resorting to the NHL player assistance program last winter. In Monahan’s case, every point, every goal was a bonus.
Ironically, Monahan, 29, just signed a five-year, $27.5 million ($5.5 million per season) contract with… the Columbus Blue Jackets. Not bad for a center the Flames wanted to get rid of not three years ago!