Flames fast-forward Monahan's progression

The Calgary Sun takes a look at how far Sean Monahan has come for the Flames since being selected sixth overall in the 2013 draft.

“He’s becoming one of our best penalty-killers,” Flames coach Bob Hartley said. “There’s gonna be ups and downs. It’s a tough grind. He’s played against men every game, and his responsibilities have kept going up and up.

“Our plan was to fast-forward his progression, and even though in some parts, his game or his energy went down, we’ve never cut his ice because that was part of our plan.

“Monny will become one of those players who will score lots of goals but he’s going to make us win not only by scoring goals. That’s what we’re trying to teach him.”

Great analogy from Hartley on what it's like for a rookie in particular.

“For those young players, the first season is always a long one because there’s so many surprises. There’s so many things that you don’t know. It’s like when you’re driving your car and don’t know exactly where you’re going. It seems like the road’s always longer.

“With Monny, I think everything’s happened to him this year. He played well. He showed an unbelievable progression. He faced many mental challenges, and he did it real well.”

Source: Randy Sportak, Calgary Sun

Related: Checking in on 'Boring Sean Monahan'