NHL Trade Rumors: Montreal Canadiens’ $2,000,000 center linked with a move to New York Rangers

By Arnab Mondal

Modified Feb 02, 2024 12:02 GMT

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently suggested that the Montreal Canadiens' Sean Monahan may soon join the New York Rangers.

"Monahan has enormous respect around the league for how much he's come back from," Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada. "This was a guy who a couple of years ago, people were thinking is he going to be able to continue playing. Not only is he playing, he's thriving."

"The Canadiens likely will be trying to get a high draft pick, perhaps a first-rounder, for Monahan," Friedman reported.

Monahan, who has struggled with injuries in the past, has had an impressive recovery this season. He's made quite the mark with 34 points in 48 games, courtesy of 13 goals and 21 assists. They are the most he's had since the 2019-20 season with the Calgary Flames.

The Rangers, already in the market for a center, might be more inclined to pursue Monahan, especially with Filip Chytil facing an injury setback. Friedman emphasized the urgency for the Rangers, stating:

"One of the big questions teams are asking right now is how high in the lineup for a contender do you need Monahan to play?"

However, a potential obstacle to a Canadiens-Rangers trade is the strained relationship between the two front offices. Friedman noted:

"The big challenge is there isn't a lot of love lost between the two front offices, the Canadiens and the Rangers, so will it be a complicated deal to do between them."

The Montreal Canadiens might want a high draft pick, maybe a first-rounder, for Monahan. The Canadiens signed him for $2,000,000 for one year. This creates an interesting plot as the NHL trade deadline looms.

Montreal Canadiens stumble in overtime against Penguins

The Montreal Canadiens suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even with goals from Kaiden Guhle and Juraj Slafkovsky, the Canadiens fell just short.

Lars Eller celebrated his 1,000th NHL game with a goal, as he guided Pittsburgh to the win. Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry made 25 saves and Marcus Pettersson scored the winner in overtime, aided by Rickard Rakell.

"We played hard. We played strong. We just didn't get the result," Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said in the post-game interview.

Jake Allen made 30 saves for the Montreal Canadiens, who have now lost four of their last five games.