$27,500,00 Sean Monahan opens up about free agency struggles before signing 5-year Blue Jackets deal

Forward Sean Monahan opened up about the reasoning behind his decision to sign a five-year $27.5 million deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. During an appearance on NHL Network, Monahan discussed his decision to sign with Columbus and his struggles leading up to free agency.

When asked about his first experience with free agency, Monahan said:

“It was stressful, a little bit, I think. I’ve need been through it before. Tried to weigh all the decisions. Look at all the pros and cons. I guess a whole bunch of different situations.”

All things considered, Monahan believes Columbus was the right place to go:

“When we narrowed it down, we thought Columbus was the best fit for myself and my family.”

Sean Monahan reiterated that family played a crucial role in choosing Columbus, considering his family had just welcomed their first child. Moreover, Monahan felt that Columbus is close enough to his home, making the city a good choice for him and his family.

Beyond closeness to family and friends, Columbus also offered a chance to win. Monahan said about why he felt Columbus was competitive:

“The GM has spoken to me and wants to make this team as competitive as possible right away. That was something I was really interested in.”

Regarding his potential teammates, Monahan said that he's excited about reuniting with Johnny Gaudreau. Both players had good chemistry in the past and will look to continue that dynamic despite Columbus lacking a coach at the moment.

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Sean Monahan’s healthy again and gaining confidence

When asked about his injury woes, Sean Monahan said that he’s healthy again. Monahan addressed questions about playing a full season:

“It felt good. Slowly, you come back and start getting in the groove again and confidence starts to build.”

His confidence grew to the point where he notched u[ 26 goals in 83 regular-season games. But one of the key aspects related to this past season was getting traded. He said about moving from one team to another:

“When you get traded, it’s never easy to adjust right away. I had a four, five-game stretch where I was held off the scoresheet, and things started to flow again. When you feel like yourself, you have confidence, and you have that confidence going into every game.”

The Blue Jackets hope that Sean Monahan feels like himself as the club looks to turn a corner on a largely disappointing season last year. Adding Monahan is a step in the right direction for a team loaded with young, talented players like Adam Fantilli and savvy veterans like Gaudreau.