Canadiens have much to play for despite Monahan trade further dashing playoff hopes

BROSSARD, Que.— As you undoubtedly know by now, Sean Monahan was traded to the Winnipeg Jets last week and, as you can imagine, his departure was tough to digest for his Montreal Canadiens teammates and coach Martin St. Louis.

Not just because he was one of the most well-liked people in the room and one of the most versatile players on the ice, but also because of what his removal from the team symbolized.

No one needed general manager Kent Hughes to come in and explain it to them. St. Louis and his players already knew the Canadiens started this season fresh out of the first phase of a rebuild and knew eventually acquiring another first-round pick for Monahan’s services would get them closer to the third phase, so they anticipated a move like this might be coming.

But to see it made over a month before the trade deadline only reinforces to them that the goal they’ve been chasing to this point of the season—a Stanley Cup Playoff berth—intersects with management’s goal to eventually turn the team into much more than just a playoff contender. They know it wasn’t likely to be met to begin with, and they know it just got significantly harder to attain with Monahan traded.

It doesn’t matter how unrealistic that goal was from the start, facing the reality of not achieving it, with 33 games remaining on the schedule, can be discouraging.

But the Canadiens can’t let it be.

This is a time for them to remind themselves they have many other goals to achieve between now and the end of the season.

The primary one is not allowing circumstances—other trades, injuries, losing more ground in the standings—to stall or halt progress or even lead to a regression. The Canadiens have taken steps forward in establishing their culture and identity and they have to plan for how to not only maintain and avoid moving backward, but also to keep moving forward.

“For us, as a group, as a coaching staff, we’re still trying to improve our collective game, no matter who’s hurt, who’s in, who’s out,” said St. Louis on Monday. “It’s just continue working on our collective game.

“And I think our collective game has been a big reason why we’ve been able to compete. We’ve had a lot of one-goal games. I don’t know how many, but I know we’re one of the teams that has a lot of one-goal games in this league. So, I think that’s a big improvement from last year. I think we raised our floor, and we have to continue raising our floor by doing simple things over and over but with a collective game behind it.”

That comes down to everyone doing what’s best for the team in all facets. It comes down to everyone committing to continue to do the things that keep the team in games and give it a chance to win.

Canadiens assistant captain Mike Matheson insists losing Monahan shouldn’t affect that whatsoever.

“I loved Monny, and everybody knows the impact he had for our team,” Matheson said. “As a human being, definitely, it’s not easy to see anybody go. But as a hockey player and professional athlete, I completely understand that the only thing I need to focus on is to continue working and give my best.”

Matheson continued: “I think it’s easy to ask that question: What does (trading Monahan) mean for the group, a decision like that?

“Does it matter? Does it change anything? Does Washington take us differently (on Tuesday) depending on what we think we are or aren’t? Does our mentality going into Washington change?

“I don’t think so. I think our goal is still to win that game. And once we finish that game, I think our goal is to win that game too. So, I think you can get caught up in all of that or you can just realize that, regardless of what happens, I want to beat Washington tomorrow.”

The 29-year-old defenceman wants to use that game against the Capitals, and the 32 games that follow to also grow as a player.

All of his teammates should be trying to do the same. There is much growth for everyone to do on an individual basis and experiencing it will only help the collective.

Jordan Harris, 23, knows. He is 105 games into his NHL career and intent on using the next 33 games to prove he can execute more consistently and cement his place in the lineup.

“I still think I could do more in terms of just trusting my skating and skill,” Harris said. “I want to keep what I’ve been doing defensively but add aspects of quicker transitions and using my feet and making quick plays by really just trusting what I can do. I think that’s really the next step for me at this level.”

Jayden Struble, the 22-year-old who’s had a remarkable debut, is just 31 games into his NHL career and he said on Monday he’s yet to experience a moment in which he’s felt in over his head.

But Struble isn’t allowing his early success to affect his sense of urgency.

“It doesn’t feel like I’ve arrived at all,” he said. “It still feels like I just got called up and am fighting for a spot. Every night, I don’t know if I’m going to play. We have a ton of really good D, a ton of young, really good D, so I have to do whatever I can to stay in the lineup.”

Struble said he will focus on “getting more comfortable offensively,” to become more at ease straddling the offensive blue line and putting the puck in the right spots to get shots through to the net, and he still wants to improve his pace when it comes to defending.

Juraj Slafkovsky will have to do his best to keep up with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, as the 20-year-old was reunited with the Canadiens two best offensive players in Monahan’s absence. Tanner Pearson will have to show he can supplant Monahan from the bumper of the first power-play unit, which has been among the top-10 most effective in the NHL since the beginning of January. And Jake Evans, who’s already taken on a bigger role in the absence of Christian Dvorak, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, has an opportunity to show he can help supplant some of Monahan’s offence.

“The league continues,” said St. Louis.

The Canadiens have to, as well, and they’ll have to keep their heads up no matter what circumstances present themselves from here to the end of the season.