Two former Calgary Flames players, Sean Monahan and Nikita Zadorov, have been listed among the summer’s worst free-agency signings, according to Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report. Both players, Monahan with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Zadorov with the Boston Bruins landed lucrative UFA deals, but whether they will live up to them is a real question mark.
Is Monahan Officially His Old Flames Self Again?
Monahan, who signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Blue Jackets, is one of the incredible bounce-back stories in the NHL. He had a great 2023-24 season, tallying 26 goals and 59 points split between the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets.
Monahan was essentially discarded by the Flames. Traded at a loss, it didn’t take him long to find his footing in Montreal and he became a profitable acquisition for the Habs. Netting two first-rounders when all was said and done, Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes looked like a genius when Monahan was sent to the Jets for a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a conditional third-round selection in 2027. The Jets tried to retain Monahan this offseason but he ultimately chose Columbus, where he’ll reunite with another former Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau.
Gretz wonders whether Monahan can keep up his performance. His high shooting percentage of 15.2 percent jumped to nearly 20 percent after his trade to Winnipeg. Was last season an outlier? Or, is Monahan back to the same levels he was during his prime with the Flames from 2014 to 2019?
The Blue Jackets invested heavily in Monahan and are hoping his last couple of seasons are the norm, not the exception after serious health questions.
Zadorov One of the Overpayments of Free Agency
Zadorov’s six-year, $30 million contract with the Bruins is also questionable. No doubt, he capitalized on the buzz surrounding his performances last season and the lack of physically imposing blueliners who play his style of game made him a hot commodity this summer.
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However, Gretz suggests Zadorov is going to be asked to do more than he can probably handle. At the very least, his new salary will command a certain level of performance and consistency. It’s questionable he can live up to those expectations. If Boston wants him in a regular top-four role, Zadorov could be exposed as a more one-dimensional defenseman.
Did the Flames Make the Right Call Moving On?
Timing is crucial when considering decisions that may not be directly linked to future transactions. In other words, evaluating Calgary’s decision to part ways with these two players can be complicated, as it often involves comparing different contexts. Having said that, it’s intriguing to wonder if it was wise for the Flames to move on from these players.
Maybe the answer lies in the timing of the two moves.
Monahan, once a key part of Calgary’s core, had struggled with injuries and a decline in his performance is why the Flames said goodbye. One could argue it would have been hard to foresee this kind of comeback.
It’s hard not to look back at the Monahan deal and think the Flames took the brunt end of that trade. They gave up a conditional first-round pick to shed his $6.375-million cap hit. Waiting a little while longer might have brought back a much bigger return. Perhaps they could have avoided dumping the sweetener that would have been a useful part of this new rebuild.
Meanwhile, Zadorov, though a physical presence, never quite fit into a top-pairing role with the Flames. The Flames received a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick in exchange for Zadorov, which feels low after seeing what he signed for in Boston. That said, Calgary’s decision to part ways with a player who was bound to leave and chase the big money meant he was likely gone no matter what.
