The Montreal Canadiens acquired forward Sean Monahan and a conditional 2025 pick from the Calgary Flames on Thursday in return for future considerations.
Monahan, 27, was limited to eight goals and 23 points last season in 65 games.
He’s been limited to one assist in his last 16 games.
He is preparing to serve out the final year of a seven-year contract earning him an average annual salary of US$6.375 million.
The Flames have agreed to sacrifice Monahan to make room for Nazem Kadri on their payroll.
Kadri signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Flames as a free agent.
“Brad (Treliving, the Flames’ general manager) and I talked often during the summer, mentioned the general manager of the Canadian Kent Hughes, about how the transaction took shape.
“The discussions had become more concrete for a little over three days. »
A native of Brampton, Ont., Monahan was drafted sixth overall in 2013 by Calgary.
In 656 NHL games, he has 212 goals and 462 points.
His best campaign was 2018-19, when he tallied 34 goals and 82 points.
Monahan has previously had surgery on her wrist as well as both hips, including one about four and a half months ago, Hughes said.
“He seems very happy to be able to play a healthy (full) season,” said Hughes.
The general manager, however, tempered by adding that Monahan might not be ready to return to the game at the start of the season.
In the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, Monahan played 70 and 50 games, respectively.
On the position he’ll be given, Hughes said “I know he’s played center in the past, but that’s to be determined when he’s fully recovered”, mentioning that Jake Evans can also play as a winger .
The general manager also said that if he did not conclude another exchange by the start of the season, he was comfortable with the formation of the CH as it is currently.
“We are not going to make a move that would look good in the immediate future but that would set us back [à plus long terme], said Hughes. We want to build a club that will win in a sustainable way. »