Pierre LeBrun Suggests a New Development That is Speeding Up Trade Talks Between the Canadiens and the Avalanche

It's been a few days now, that TSN's renowned tipster Pierre LeBrun has linked the name of center Sean Monahan to the Colorado Avalanche.

Acquired from the Calgary Flames last August, the forward has been excellent since the beginning of the campaign, having collected 14 points in 21 games so far. However, since he will be an uncompensated free agent at the end of the season, it is unclear what the organization's plan is for him.

Let's face it, at 28 years old, re-signing him could be expensive and with his injury history, it could become a very risky long-term investment for Kent Hughes.

In a way, that explains the trade rumors, because even though #91 is producing, he is driving up his value on the trade market.

With both feet in a rebuild and with the surplus of forwards on the Habs right now, Hughes can't pass up getting another first round pick in 2023 for Monahan, as some observers are suggesting.

If we're talking about potential destinations, Pierre LeBrun is said to have mentioned that the Colorado Avalanche would be looking for a second-round center and that Monahan is among the players that could absolutely interest the team's GM, Chris MacFarland.

A major development

Monahan was already of interest to the Avalanche, but now they just got some news that could speed up the process for them. Since the Avalanche lost the services of Nazem Kadri as their second center, they never found a true replacement to fill the huge hole left by Kadri.

However, they had been using Evan Rodrigues in that position since the beginning of the season, but now the team would be in hot water, as he would be injured for a few weeks.

This could certainly activate their search process for a center.

That's an interesting observation, but let's still mention that the Habs forward isn't the only potential target for the Avalanche, as LeBrun also mentioned Jonathan Toews and Ryan O'Reilly as options for the Stanley Cup champions.

However, Toews may cost more to acquire and with a $10.5 million contract, he may be nearly impossible to absorb in Colorado unless a third team is involved.

On the other hand, with the St. Louis Blues, who were on a big winning streak before yesterday's loss, back in the playoff picture, it would be surprising if GM Doug Armstrong gave up on the season by selling off his veteran center.

Could the Canadiens make another trade with the Avalanche, this time involving Sean Monahan? Will they offer their 2023 first round pick, to immediately fill that hole in their lineup?

Pierre LeBrun seems to think so, and with this injury to Rodrigues, this is a hot issue to watch.

Credit: William Nadeau, Habs & NHL

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