NASHVILLE | Kent Hughes didn’t win the derby for Pierre-Luc Dubois, but he quickly found a back-up with Alex Newhook. A bet that could pay off for the Canadian.
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On July 7, 2022, Hughes landed a smash hit on the first day of the draft when he traded defenseman Alexander Romanov in a three-team deal with the New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks to get his hands on Kirby Dach.
When Gary Bettman took the microphone to announce this transaction, there were several sighs from the Bell Center bleachers. The partisans found it difficult to understand Romanov’s departure. The journalists felt the same way.
But a year later, we have to recognize that Hughes won his bet. Dach, a former Hawks third overall pick in 2019, took advantage of this changed environment to quickly establish himself as a key player at CH.
The 22-year-old Dach has the potential to become a good second center behind Nick Suzuki. In the short term, the number 77 is likely to find himself on the right wing of the front row with Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Whether he’s playing center or wing, he’ll occupy a chair of his choice.
Nearly a year later, Hughes pursued a similar strategy with Newhook. He completed another transaction that fits the team’s philosophy. Yes, there is a desire to improve, but without sacrificing the future too much.
Different responsibilities
Another 2019 graduate like Dach and Caufield, Newhook has remained in the shadows of several renowned Colorado attackers. In his two full seasons with the Avalanche, he barely touched the ice on the power play.
An author of 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 82 games, he only had two points (1 goal, 1 assist) on the power play. Jared Bednar used it for an average of 1 minute and 22 seconds on the power play. In that regard, he was the Avalanche’s seventh forward.
AFP
In Montreal, Newhook will have all the opportunities in the world to shine. Martin St-Louis has already announced that he wants to give him more responsibility.
Newhook also has an important card up its sleeve. Like Dach, he can play both in the center and on the wing.
If we soberly analyze the transaction with Avalanche, we quickly understand that this is another interesting bet. The CH did not give the young 22-year-old striker the moon. He traded a first-round pick (31st) and a second-round pick (37th). The first-round pick came through Ben Chiarot’s trade.
If Newhook has a near-50 point season next year, we’ll still be talking about a masterpiece from Hughes. The ball is in the hands of the young native Newfoundland. And CH’s DG calculated his gesture. In another life he was her agent. So he knows him very well. Probably enough to know that he still hasn’t had time to fulfill his potential at the NHL level.