Much like Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook was acquired by Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes using draft capital. While Hughes had to sacrifice Alexander Romanov to get the first-round pick the Chicago Blackhawks needed to let Dach go, the GM only had to move a surplus, including left-shot defenseman (Gianni Fairbrother), an end-of-first-round pick in 2023 (31st overall), and an early second-round pick (37th overall) in the same draft to the Colorado Avalanche to land Newhook.
At the end of his entry-level contract, Fairbrother didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Avs’ brass, and he is now plying his trade with the Utah Grizzlies in the ECHL. Colorado used the 31st overall pick to select defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev, who is still playing in the KHL, and they traded the 37th overall pick in a trade with the Lightning.
Meanwhile, once acquired by the Habs, Newhook was signed to a four-year contract with a $2.9 M cap hit and was eager to prove himself in his first season with the Canadiens last year.
Last Season
Newhook started his season on a line with Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky and scored two goals in his Canadiens debut. Unfortunately, the combination was broken up when the big center suffered his season-ending knee injury in the year’s second game.
As a result, Newhook, who had played both wing and center during the pre-season, was moved to the pivot position with less-than-conclusive results. The Newfoundlander didn’t score a goal in 13 games and was limited to four assists.
He was mercifully put back on the wing when Christian Dvorak came back from injury, and he was on a roll with six points in his last seven contests when he was injured. At the time of his ankle injury, he co-led the team in goals with Cole Caufield, each having seven markers.
He was finally able to return to action over two months later in February 2024, and he ended his season with career-best numbers in both goals (15) and points (34), even though he only suited up for 55 games. His previous career-best season had seen him collect 33 points in 71 games, so his production was clearly a significant improvement.
This Season
Since the start of camp, Newhook has been a fixture on the second line, playing alongside Dach and newly acquired bona fide sniper Patrik Laine. With everyone healthy in Montreal right now (touch wood), there is no room for Newhook at centre.
In any case, he appears destined for a winger role. While two of the Canadiens’ centers are on expiring deals (Dvorak and Jake Evans), a couple of young pivot prospects insistently knock on the big league’s door. If they can’t get their foot in the door this season, it looks like Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck will manage to do so soon.
Bench boss Martin St-Louis has said he plans to be patient with his newly formed second line. After all, Dach and Laine missed most of last season, and Newhook himself was out for almost 30 games. There is understandably a lot of rust there and timing to be found.
If the results haven’t been forthcoming just yet, they have treated us to some good passing plays, which should eventually lead to conversions. To paraphrase Laine, he can’t shoot to save his life right now, but it will sort itself out. The actual quote was ruder than that, but you get the idea.
What to Expect
Saddled with such talented linemates, Newhook should keep on improving this season. The potential the Avalanche saw when they drafted him 16th overall in the 2019 draft (right after the Canadiens selected Cole Caufield as 15th overall) is still there, and he hasn’t reached his ceiling.
However, he won’t get a whiff of first-unit power play time if everyone stays healthy. So far this pre-season, it looks like St-Louis plans on using his first line, Dach and Matheson, on his top unit. Last season, out of Newhook’s 34 points, eight were gathered on the man-advantage; that’s 24% of his offensive output.
Therefore, his production could be affected by what the second unit looks like and how much ice time it gets. A second unit including Newhook, Laine, Roy, Gallagher, and Hutson could eventually be productive, but when will they get the reps needed to reach that stage?
The Canadiens started practicing their power play yesterday, and it was high time, especially since they have failed to score in 13 pre-season man-advantage opportunities.
If the second line finds chemistry soon tough, even with limited power play time, Newhook should be able to set new career marks in points and assists; we’ve seen in the past how Laine can laser pucks in past goalies. Forty points seem reasonable for the winger, but he could also obliterate that mark if the stars align.
