In the two years preceding this past regular season, discussions surrounding the name Sean Monahan had polarized into two dramatically different narratives. While the first five seasons of the opportunistic centreman’s career culminated in a magnificent sixth that saw him notch 34 goals and 82 points and flirt with NHL stardom, the following year witnessed his numbers wither to a mere 22 goals and 48 points before the season prematurely halted.
The dip stirred speculation and skepticism among quarantined Calgary Flames fans as they twiddled their thumbs and stared at the flecks on their ceiling for months. Was the point-per-game tempest in the 2018-19 campaign a fluke?