Center Sean Monahan agreed to a one-year, $1.985 million contract to stay with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, and he explained why he is coming back for a second season with the team.

“I really enjoyed my time in Montreal last year and it being cut short, being injured, I felt I owe it to myself to give it another shot in Montreal,” Sean Monahan said, via NHL.com. “I owe it to the fans and I owe it to the organization. They gave me a great opportunity from Day 1 when I came in there. The coaches were unbelievable and I have a great relationship with them … I'm very happy to get something done to come back and play for the Canadiens.”

Monahan could have been an unrestructed free agent on July 1, but decided to return. He played in 25 games for the Canadiens in the 2022-2023 season. It was his first season with Montreal after spending the first nine years of his career with the Calgary Flames. Despite having a long tenure with the Flames to start his career, Sean Monahan is just 28, so he still has some time left in the NHL. It will be interesting to see if he is able to stay healthy next season.

If Monahan is able to stay healthy and performs well with the Canadiens in the 2023-2024 season, he could become a candidate to get a nice deal in free agency next offseason. That is, if Monahan decides to hit free agency next offseason. He could theoretically earn an extension with Montreal as well.