"It's time to get the show on the road."

"Three years. It's been a long, long time since I've felt this good.

Thanks to off-season surgeries to fix some significant injuries, Sean Monahan is entering the new season in better health than he has been in "at least" three years.

Really bad news for the rest for the rest of the league.

And considering what the 6-foot-3, 195-lb. pivot grappled with and still found a way to tie his career high with 31 goals last year, you gotta think the sky's the limit for the 23-year-old this time around.

At the end of last season, it was clear Monahan was more than nicked up and fraught by the usual bumps and bruises players talk about in their annual exit meetings.

And then he spoke to the media on April 9, his arm in a sling, and reeled off his injuries, one by one - four in total, notably his wrist.

"There were times during the rehab where it was really frustrating, but I just had to remind myself that I was going to be back, feeling better and playing to my potential real soon," he said. "It was just going to take a bit of work to get there."

Video: Monahan's best plays from last season

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."