Home / News / The draft pick conditions in the Sean Monahan trade are absurd

The draft pick conditions in the Sean Monahan trade are absurd

By Chris Cerullo

 3 Comments

August 18, 2022 10:00 pm

The Calgary Flames made a couple of big moves on Thursday, chiefly the signing of top free agent center Nazem Kadri. To make room for Kadri’s arrival, the team needed to part ways with center Sean Monahan and his sizable contract for the 2022-23 season.

Salary cap space doesn’t come cheap so when the Flames sent Monahan east to the Montreal Canadiens they also had to include a conditional 2025 first-round draft selection.

It turns out that the conditions on that pick are insanely detailed.

They are as follows via the Habs press release:

1. In the event Calgary’s own 2024 first (1st) round choice is selection 20-32 (inclusive) (following the determination of the 2024 NHL Draft lottery results), then Montreal shall have the option, exercisable until 48 hours prior to the start of the 2024 NHL draft, to exchange the conditional 2025 or 2026 first round choice to become Calgary’s own 2024 first (1st) round choice); or,

If Florida’s 2025 First (1st) Round Choice Transfers to Calgary (pursuant to the conditions on an earlier trade)

2. In the event the conditions to trigger Montreal’s option as noted in #1 above does not occur, or Montreal declines to exercise this option, the following conditions shall prevail:

A) If both Calgary’s own 2025 first (1st) round choice and Florida’s 2025 first (1st) round choice (previously acquired by Calgary) are not in the top-10 selections of the 2025 NHL Draft (following the determination of the 2025 NHL Draft lottery results), then Montreal shall receive the earlier of the two (2) stated choices; or,
B) If Calgary’s own 2025 first (1st) round choice is a top-10 selection and Florida’s 2025 first round selection (previously acquired by Calgary) is outside of the top-10 selections (following the determination of the 2025 NHL Draft lottery results), Montreal shall receive Florida’s 2025 first (1st) round choice).

If Florida’s 2025 First Round Choice DOES NOT Transfer to Calgary (pursuant to the conditions on an earlier trade)

3. In the event the conditions to trigger Montreal’s option as noted in #1 above does not occur, or Montreal declines to exercise this option, the following conditions shall prevail:

A. If Calgary’s own 2025 first (1st) round choice is not in the top-10 selections of the 2025 NHL Draft (following the determination of the 2025 NHL Draft lottery results), Montreal shall receive Calgary’s own 2025 first (1st) round choice, and additionally,

1) If Florida’s own 2025 first (1st) round choice is not in the top-10 selections of the 2025 NHL Draft (following the determination of the 2025 NHL Draft lottery results); and,
2) Florida’s 2025 first (1st) round choice has been transferred to another NHL Club; and,
3) Florida’s 2025 first round draft position is better than Calgary’s 2025 first round draft position; then Calgary will transfer their own 2025 fourth round choice to Montreal.
B. If Calgary’s own 2025 first (1st) round choice is a top-10 selection (following the determination of the 2025 NHL Draft lottery results), Montreal shall receive Calgary’s 2025 first (1st) round choice, subject to the following condition below:

1) In the event Calgary’s 2025 first (1st) round choice is the first (1st) selection overall in the 2025 NHL Draft (following the determination of the 2025 NHL Draft lottery results), Calgary will retain its own 2025 first (1st) round choice and Montreal shall instead receive Calgary’s own 2025 third (3rd) round choice and a conditional 2026 first (1st) round choice. Montreal shall receive the better of Calgary’s 2026 first (1st) round choice or Florida’s 2026 first (1st) round choice (following the determination of the 2026 NHL Draft lottery results) (previously conditionally acquired by Calgary).

Here are some assorted memes about this trade that you can digest either instead of reading all of that or as some sort of eye bleach to now cleanse your soul.

The conditions contain so much legal mumbo jumbo that they could be confused for Major League Baseball’s balk rules. Here’s CapFriendly’s attempt to summarize things.

1. If CGY’s 2024 1st round pick is between 20 and 32, MTL can take that pick instead.

Scenario: In the event CGY receives FLA’s 2025 1st round pick:

1. If both CGY AND FLA’s picks are NOT top 10, MTL will receive the better of the CGY and FLA 2025 1st round picks.

2. If CGY’s pick is top 10, AND FLA’s pick is NOT top 10, MTL receives FLA’s pick.

Scenario: In the event CGY does NOT receive FLA’s 1st round pick:

Sub-scenario: CGY’s pick is NOT top 10

1. MTL will receive the CGY pick, and
2. If FLA’s pick is not top 10, is a better pick than CGY’s, and was transferred to another team due to prior conditions, MTL will also receive CGY’s 2024 4th round pick.

Sub-scenario: CGY’s pick is top 10:

1. If CGY’s pick is 1st overall, MTL will receive CGY’s 2025 3rd, and the better of CGY and FLA’s 2026 1st round pick.
2. If CGY’s pick is 2nd to 10th, MTL receives CGY’s 2025 1st round pick.

That’s simple enough, right?

Lost in all of the nonsense is the fact that the Canadiens now own five first-round picks over the next three drafts and 27 picks total. That’s a great step forward for a rebuilding club.

Headline photo by JC Gellidon on Unsplash

, ,