It’s easy to forget in Calgary that Sean Monahan was one of the expatriates during the Flames’ tumultuous offseason.

His star has faded in recent years due to injuries, and Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk spent months in the spotlight as their futures were at stake. Monahan’s trade to the Canadiens in August for the first round was absolutely one Salary liquidation for the Flames and a way to ease the signing of free agent Nazem Kadri.

A newly crowned Stanley Cup winner and author of his best career season, Kadri is a player who gets carried away easily. But it’s even easier to choose Monahan after everything he’s been through.

“I’ve lived almost half my life there, it gets weird,” Monahan admitted Tuesday night, referring to his first game against the Flames on Thursday in Calgary.

Monahan’s return comes at a strange time for Flames fans, who were treated to Tkachuk’s return to the Saddledome on Tuesday. For most players, emotions related to Tkachuk had already evaporated 10 days earlier when they faced him in Florida. And now they’re going to Columbus next week to find Gaudreau.

Although they are no longer teammates, Monahan and Gaudreau still speak to each other almost every day. It’s the legacy of spending eight seasons with the same team – most of them on the same line – and conquering the Flames’ top scorers four years in a row.

However, last season they shared something else: a feeling that they needed to pursue their careers elsewhere.

“I think getting out of Calgary … you know, he got left out, he didn’t play, and he didn’t deserve that,” said Gaudreau, who signed a surprise deal with the Blue Jackets this summer as a relief agent.

“I thought at the time it would be better for him to get out of there. We both got out of there and it’s great to see he’s doing so well. (…) I love to see his matches. I’ve seen most of his games this year. You can see he’s got that momentum back and it’s great to see. »

Head coach Martin St-Louis often talks about the importance of “playing freely” in Montreal. Not having to rack your brains with lots of useless stuff to express intelligence and creativity.

But to be able to play freely, the body must also feel free. And that’s what Monahan couldn’t have it in later years.

Monahan has certainly missed a few training sessions over the past few days and his presence for Wednesday’s matchup against the Flames wasn’t fully confirmed either. But despite that latest boo, the theme since arriving in Montreal has been that he’s playing at 100% of his abilities.

Yes, being “100%” is one of the most common clichés in hockey, but in the case of Monahan, knowing what he struggled with means a lot.

His operations on both hips caused a stir, but it must not be forgotten that after 64 points in the 2017/18 season – a personal high at the time – he ended his season early to endure no fewer than four operations: one Reconstruction of the left wrist, two operations to treat hernias and another operation in the groin.

Monahan came back strong the following season with 82 points, but injuries didn’t let him down.

His former teammate Mikael Backlund has seen the ups and downs of almost nine seasons together. The 33-year-old center is well placed to talk about Monahan when they were both at their best and at their best.

“You knew he was going to score a goal or two almost every night,” said Backlund, who underwent his own hip surgery in 2014. “He had this killer shot and was so dangerous on the net. It was super fun to see him with Johnny (Gaudreau) before all those hip injuries slowed him down. »

You might have a hard time finding many forwards still active who were impact players on the team that drafted them, but whose stars have faded so far that their coach left them out. It’s a very unusual course, but that’s what happened to Monahan in his last few miles in Calgary. Injuries plagued his production for two years and by the end he was being treated like he was in his late 30s.

After being ruled out for 14 straight games and twice dropping his ice time under ten minutes, Monahan was finally fired in late March. It was the first time in his career that he was cut due to performance issues.

“It wasn’t going well, I was injured and I didn’t play much,” he said. I wasn’t having much fun. So the new beginning is huge for me and I’m really happy to be here. »

Head coach Darryl Sutter, who came off the bench for the Flames in March 2021, never saw Monahan at his peak, but he was full of praise for him.

“Sean Monahan is so easy to train and such a good guy,” Sutter said Wednesday. Haven’t seen much of Montreal other than the highlights and knowing they are coming. But I can tell you that he’s moving a lot better than he’s been in the last two years, that’s for sure.

“Sean did everything you asked him to do,” Sutter added. If Sean was one of the guys with a long-term contract, he would have been captain. »

After being cut by Sutter, Monahan only played two more games before letting Flames management know his right hip was bothering him too much to continue.

“Sean is someone who plays despite a lot of things and not telling a lot of people about it,” commented Flames GM Brad Treliving when announcing the end of his season.

“Let me say this, I know Sean has been the subject of a lot of criticism. I think there’s a lot… I think there’s a lot of bullshit, to be honest with you. This guy plays despite a lot of things and questioning him I think is a mistake. Most people couldn’t do a third of what he does, and he keeps that to himself. This isn’t a situation where people pushed him off the ice. »

(David Kirouac/USA today)

We can understand Monahan telling anyone who will listen that he is finally free of these issues and can work on becoming the player he was again. The 28-year-old forward has quickly established himself as a veteran in the Canadiens locker room, and as much as the players enjoy his company, they respect the professionalism he has shown since the start of the season.

“He was recovering from surgery in the summer and was keen to play the first game of the year. I think that says a lot about the type of player he is, the person he is and how much work it takes to come back,” noted Kirby Dach, who also recently returned to the city where he played the first few seasons of his career.

“That he’s 100% healthy with no disorders, that’s really cool. I think he’s been playing really good hockey for us lately and that’s definitely something we needed. »

Moving Dach to the right wing of the first line increased Monahan’s importance in the formation as the Canadian needed a center for his second line. Even though he was able to score maximum points on the wings of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, Monahan can assert himself better in the second center role and prove to the CH as well as the other sides that he is again a forward to count on .

It is the reality of a player at the end of his contract, that of a team likely to be looking for a good draft pick in exchange for his services at the close of trade, and also that of an individual who needs to know that he can continue to practice his profession in complete freedom .

St-Louis is trying to put together a second line around Monahan that can have some bite in attack. There hasn’t been much stability among his wingers, but Monahan has managed to remain productive in his last nine games with three goals and five assists. He remains a good puck-possesser, works on both special teams and is the Canadian’s best center in the face-off circuit (55.2%).

Sutter also sees how valuable Monahan can be for a team like the Canadiens that is in the midst of a transition, bringing in young players who can help take it to the next level as they develop. Monahan lists the three famous qualities Sutter looks for in a player: a good person, a good teammate, and a good competitor.

” Check, check, check said Sutter.

There’s a lot to like about what he brings, but the Headmaster won’t settle for that.

“It’s good, but I’m just finding my game,” said Monahan, who currently produces 50 points a season. I still have a lot to prove. I can be a much better player than I’ve ever been. It’s slowly coming back. These are exciting times and playing hockey is fun again. »

At Calgary, Monahan wasn’t nearly as divisive as Gaudreau or Tkachuk, so it’s safe to predict the fan reception for him should be the warmest they’ll give the three players who left this season.

Of all the players drafted in 2013, only Nathan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov have more career points than Monahan. That’s why the Saddledome had to be the scene of regular strong performances from him, and surely Monahan would love nothing more than to show the same level of hockey on Thursday that made him a star there.

Because as much as he wanted to clean up the past, reconnecting with his touch of the past is the best way for him to shape his future successfully.

Aaron Portzline contributed to this article.

(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)