With the sixth pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames have selected center Sean Monahan from Ottawa of the OHL.
2013 NHL Draft: Flames select Sean Monahan with No. 6 pick
The Calgary Flames have selected Sean Monahan with the No. 6 overall selection.
Monahan is the captain of the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario League. He put up 31 goals and 78 points in just 58 games during the 2012-13 season. While not the best skater in the draft, he’s described as an excellent two-way forward, with the ability to see the ice proficiently. At 6’2”, 186 pounds and some time to grow, he should become an interesting power forward who can play both ways.
NHL Central Scouting ranked Monahan No. 5 among North American skaters , while ISS ranked him No. 9 among all skaters. TSN’s Craig Button has him listed as No. 6 among all prospects.
Prospect Profiles
Playing for the Ottowa 67’s was not an easy feat last season - the team is rebuilding and won only 16 games out of 68 in 2012-2013. This brings to light how special his 31 goals and 47 assists in 58 games were. While his skating isn’t out of this world, he makes smart plays with the puck and uses his hockey smarts to his advantage.
Monahan is the type of player who can play anywhere in a line-up and who makes adjustments based on the game situation. He doesn’t just have one gear or one style of play, he figures out what he needs to do and what his team needs to do at every point in a game and molds his play after that. His hockey sense allows him to stay ahead of defenders and really think the game a few steps forward which allows him to both make plays others wouldn’t think of and adjust quickly and effectively when things don’t go as planned.
Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus describes Monahan as, “a smart two-way player,” adding that, “His ability as an offensive playmaker is high end, as he has tremendous instincts, displaying the ability to make quality passes.” Pronman caps off his review of Monahan (which can be read in full here) with his projection of the 6’ 2” forward, “Monahan projects as a quality defensive center, capable of winning face offs consistently. He does not have a clear developmental weakness in his game, which bodes well for a team that may be looking for him to make the transition to the NHL within a year or two.” The main knock on the forward is his average skating ability. It is the one part of his game that is sub-par although it is not a major deterrent to his overall ability.
He's a two-way player who in the professional ranks projects as a 2nd/3rd line center, reminding me a bit of Ryan Kesler. He's a good faceoff guy and is responsible in his own zone, while in the offensive zone he's a creative playmaker who uses his size to fend off defenders.
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