By June, after three months of rehab, he was back up to full speed and was able to train harder, instead of years past when he was dealing with some kind of lingering pain or mobility issues.
"I didn't really have too much down time, but getting home and seeing all my friends and family again, that gives you a pretty big boost," he said. "I can't wait to get back on the ice with the guys during camp.
"(General Manager) Brad (Treliving)'s done a great job with the team this off-season with the trades and the signings he's made. Now, it's on us as players to step up.
"I'm ready for the challenge. We all are."
Looking back at the injury-filled journey and the work he's put in to get to where he is now, the Brampton product feels a sense of relief.
"Honestly," an exasperated Monahan reveals, "it was awful feeling.
"Miserable, really.
"My body had finally had enough."
All of it in sum made even the most mindless chores, like getting out of bed in the morning, "unbearably painful," but it was the rickety left wrist with its worsening, pliable tendency that bothered him most.
"I couldn't shoot," Monahan said. "Slap shots? No way. My wrister lost a fair bit of heat, too, but at least I could power through it sometimes.
"Most days it just felt like a piece of rubber."
He never let the frustration show publicly, but admits the toil would often take a toll mentally.
"You never really have an excuse not to perform" he said. "I didn't want to let the team down, so I kept working and playing through the pain.
"Looking back, it's crazy. To think, I've come so far in a relatively short period of time.
"In the end, I guess you could say it was a blessing in disguise. To get all that stuff dealt with and to feel as good as I do now, it's awesome.
"I'm ready. We're all looking forward to having a big year."
