HabsWorld.net -- 

It had been previously reported that there was mutual interest in an extension between the Canadiens and pending UFA centre Sean Monahan.  In the end, they were able to work out an agreement as Montreal announced that they’ve re-signed Monahan to a one-year contract.  The deal carries a base salary of $1.985 million and contains $15,000 in bonuses payable when he plays in his 26th game.

The 28-year-old was acquired from Calgary in August as a cap dump from the Flames, permitting them to sign Nazem Kadri instead.  Montreal received a future first-round pick for taking on the $6.375 million contract, one with perhaps the most detailed protections in NHL history.

While there was speculation that Monahan would miss the start of the season while he recovered from hip surgery for the second year in a row, he was ready to go in camp and wound up playing a key role for the Habs early in the season, picking up 17 points in 25 games while logging over 17 minutes a night.

Unfortunately, as has often been the case with Monahan, the injury bug crept up again.  He suffered a foot injury in December and tried to briefly play through it before shutting it down.  Then, while rehabbing, he suffered a groin injury, ending his season prematurely while taking away any hope that Montreal could flip him at the trade deadline.

Instead, the two sides have worked out a relatively low-risk contract, one that should give Monahan a chance to once again play an important role while showing he is indeed fully healthy.  If that happens, the Canadiens could have a strong trade chip closer to the trade deadline.  On the other hand, if the injury bug strikes again, having a base salary of under $2 million means that the injury shouldn’t complicate things as much from a cap perspective as it did this past season.

Monahan’s Stats: