In case you missed today's blockbuster news the Calgary Flames have signed free agent forward Nazem Kadri to a seven year contract.
Additionally, there are reports that the Flames have traded forward Sean Monahan and his $6.3 million contract to the Montreal Canadiens.
The 31 year old Kadri had an outstanding 87 points in 61 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season and a further 15 points in 16 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup championship. He was arguably the NHL's biggest free agent following Johnny Gaudreau who, of course, left the Flames for the Columbus Blue Jackets. With Kadri now reportedly under contract Flames GM Brad Treliving has effectively replaced Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan with Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Not bad, not bad at all considering the circumstances that Gaudreau and Tkachuk put the Flames in.
As for Monahan, he'll play out the final year of his seven year, $45 million deal in Montreal and then likely head to the open market as a free agent. Once seen as a promising young forward with a stellar two way game, Monahan's production has dropped off in recent seasons. He went from 34 goals and 82 points in 2017-18 to just eight goals and 23 points this past season. The 27 year old has been plagued by injuries and it's no coincidence that his point totals fell off after he was removed from the team's top line with Gaudreau and Tkachuk. With the emergence of center Elias Lindholm as the Flames' top line pivot, Monahan was relegated to the second line and even struggled to produce as the team's third or fourth line center. We'll get an opportunity to reinvent himself in Montreal, but he'll be hard pressed to match his totals from earlier in his career. Honestly, I just hope he's able to put his injury woes behind him and get his career back on track because I think he can be a valuable forward when healthy.
