Team: Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Age: 18
Date of Birth: October 12th, 1994
Place of Birth: Brampton, Ontario
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 187lbs
Shoots: Left
2012-2013 Regular Season Stats:
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM |
| 58 | 31 | 47 | 78 | -18 | 24 |
Sean Monahan made the best of a bad situation this season, captaining his Ottawa 67’s team in scoring despite finishing dead last in the OHL standings. His 78 points were also good for 15th in league scoring.
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.
His playing style reminds me of Sean Couturier in his draft year, and the team that drafts him will get a dependable player who excels in all three zones. I see him as a perfect fit for the Calgary Flames, as they embark on their rebuild.
For the past year, Monahan maintained a blog for NHL.com – be sure to check it out.
Scouting Reports:
Monahan is a smart two-way player who has shined in the OHL over the past two seasons. His ability as an offensive playmaker is high end, as he has tremendous instincts, displaying the ability to make quality passes. Monahan regularly shows the ability to slow the game down. He controls play from the perimeter on the power play. He is patient, creative, and he does not simply rely on one dimension, either. He has good puck skills; while they still lag behind his hockey sense, he can make some defensemen miss. Monahan possesses good size (in order to shoulder off checks). If defenders try to overplay the pass, he has a great shot, and he can finish from medium range if given the chance. His skating is fairly average. He is not a total liability on his feet, but his skating stands out as the least impressive aspect of his game. Monahan projects as a quality defensive center, capable of winning faceoffs 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.
– Hockey ProspectusEven though the Ottawa 67’s failed to qualify for the Ontario Hockey League playoffs for the first time in 18 seasons, coaches representing teams in the OHL Eastern Conference certainly thought very highly of 67’s captain Sean Monahan.
Monahan, No. 4 on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm list of the top draft-eligible North American skaters, completed his third season in Ottawa with 31 goals and 78 points in 58 games.
All the hard work didn’t go unnoticed despite the fact his team only won 16 games, as the 6-foot-2, 186-pound center was voted among the top-three players in four separate categories during the OHL Eastern Conference Coaches Poll on March 13.
Monahan was ranked second behind Niagara’s Ryan Strome (New York Islanders) as the Smartest Player and Best Playmaker. He earned a third-place finish behind Strome and Barrie’s Andreas Athanasiou (Detroit Red Wings) for Best Stickhandler, and was third behind Oshawa’s Boone Jenner (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Barrie’s Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets) as the Best on Face-Offs.
Why he’d be a good fit in Columbus:
Monahan is a great player, but he may be a bit redundant with the Jackets. Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner play a very similar style.
What the Jackets need in the organization are high-end offensive forwards, especially on the wing.Monahan isn’t a game-breaker, he’s more of a trustworthy 2-3 centerman. What the Jackets need if drafting a pivot is an impact player like MacKinnon, Drouin or Barkov.
Monahan in Action: