With Filip Chytil suffering another setback in the return from his concussion, the New York Rangers could be looking to acquire some help in the bottom six. Someone that Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has suggested the New York Rangers could look to move in on is Montreal Canadiens centerman Sean Monahan as a replacement in the bottom six that could help the Rangers address their five-on-five scoring.
The bottom six could use the help, and Monahan is the kind of player that could help the Rangers. Scoring has been an issue for the Rangers, who have suffered with absentees throughout their forward core for the duration of the season. Monahan's put up 12 goals and 22 assists for 35 points in 49 games so far this season. He's producing very well on a Montreal Canadiens team that cannot score well at this point.
As the Brampton, Ontario native continues to play very well, this seems like a player that makes sense right? He can play both center and right-wing, making him a fit in the two problematic areas of the roster for the Rangers while not being a long term risk as he is just a rental. With a cap hit of $1.985 million this season with an extra $15 thousand in bonuses, this is a player that will be attracting a lot of interest.
However, there's more than meets the eye to the Sean Monahan situation. He had a hip replacement two years ago, and there are always problems associated with that for hockey players. Even since that, he's dealt with issues in his foot. Staying in the lineup has been a major problem for Monahan for the bulk of his career, and there is a risk that he would fall victim to his failing body again.
This is also a complete anomoly for Monahan. This is the best producing season he has had since 2018-19 season when he and Johnny Gaudreau went nuts in Calgary together. He's only played the full 82 games of a season once in his career, but that was back in 2016-17. He's played more than 80 three times total since his debut season in 2013-14. That's 10 years with only three years of exceptional health. It's a major concern when you talk about Monahan. He only played 25 last year, and he's not getting younger.
So I leave this to you. What do you think? Should the Rangers be sniffing around Sean Monahan to replace Filip Chytil, or should they hold out and look for a different fit? It's an interesting conversation for those that want center help without paying through the nose for Elias Lindholm. There are other options, but not that are enjoying the same success as Monahan.