The trade involving Sean Monahan has been painful for the Canadiens in the short term, but in the long term, it's a different story. Indeed, Martin St-Louis' team is no longer able to win, and they now have five consecutive losses.
Without taking anything away from the promising player, Alex Newhook doesn't have the same impact on the team as Monahan could have had. The loss of number 91 hurts right now, but when looking at it from another angle, it will be beneficial.
At the time of the trade with the Winnipeg Jets, the Canadiens were on track to draft at the 8th or 9th position. Two weeks later, the landscape has drastically changed.
Indeed, Tuesday night's game is a 4-point match between the Habs and the Coyotes, for the 5th position in the upcoming draft. The Canadiens may even consider the top 4 if the slide continues.
I'm not a fan of defeat, and I hate to think this way, but if you're going to have a miserable season, you might as well hope for the best possible pick to have a chance to select players like Cayden Lindstrom, Macklin Celebrini, and company.
