Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! The division races are narrowing, especially in the eastern conference. A big trade went down with the Philadelphia Flyers and immediately paid dividends in the debut. The best thing is that the trade deadline is not far away, so fireworks will be set off soon. Today’s Rumours focus on the Montreal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers.
NHL Rumours
Montreal Canadiens
Rumour: Darren Dreger on Insider Trading discusses the future of Sean Monahan
Things have gone off the rails for the Montreal Canadiens and a lot of it has to do with injuries. The team has suffered blow after blow in that regard and with the trade deadline approaching, key decisions will be made. Given the teams that need goaltending, Jake Allen has seen his name surface multiple times. Although, a key name people should not forget about is Sean Monahan.
Monahan has a one year contract that he signed to remain with the Canadiens this offseason. However, there is an intriguing part of the deal that Marek brings up. In his contract, they had an agreement that when the time is right a trade will be made. In addition, it can also be a team of his choice. That is a class act by the Canadiens brass to help him land with a contender and be able to compete for the Stanley Cup. He may not be the flashiest name around the deadline but is a player worth inquiring about.
In 41 games played, Monahan has 11 goals and 24 points. He has been sensational in the faceoff circle and has a 57.7% success rate. Monahan plays effective two way hockey and given how cheap his contract is, brings great value to a contending team. Montreal is a team to keep watch on, as they will be sellers.
Florida Panthers
Rumour: Pierre Lebrun on Insider Trading discusses the future of Sam Reinhart
The next set of NHL Rumours keeps us in the Atlantic Division. If you haven’t paid attention, the Florida Panthers are proving last year was no fluke. They are for real and currently sit one point behind the Boston Bruins for first place in the division. However, they have key decisions to make this summer. Key players are free agents such as Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour. But the key player to monitor is Sam Reinhart.
Reinhart is enjoying a career year for the Panthers and it’s coming in a contract year. He has 30 goals and 53 points, which both lead the team. Also, he is on pace for 60 goals and 106 points, which both shatter his previous career totals. It is safe to say that he is going to get a hefty raise and Lebrun lays out what that can look like.
Reinhart loves Florida and the love is received back towards him. Lebrun believes that if he hits the open market, he could land a lucrative deal that pays him $10-$11 million per season. However, with having no state income tax, that contract can be much less. Reinhart could fetch a similar deal to Matthew Tkachuk or slightly under.
Florida is only getting started and will be a contending team for the foreseeable future. That’ll entice Reinhart to stick around and want to be there. All eyes on Florida with tough choices to make.
Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
