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In Hainsight: What to Expect from Alex Newhook |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
There will be a lot of attention on Alex Newhook in Montreal this season especially since in a deep draft for forwards, the Canadiens opted for defensemen David Reinbacher after trading a late first round pick, an early second rounder and Gianni Fairbrother to Colorado to acquire him. In short, what can be expected from Newhook this season is improvement. In two seasons in the NHL, he has yet to manage to exceed 33 points and Kent Hughes clearly believes he can do better and that starts this season.
As Newhook said himself in his media availability when he signed his new contract, it’s good for a player to know that a team wants them there for at least four years. Furthermore, Hughes knows the player very well having previously been part of his representation team and by trading two high picks and a prospect to Colorado and inking him to a long-term deal, the Canadiens’ general manager essentially sent a message to his new player: he believes in his potential.
In Montreal, Newhook will find himself in an environment well suited to development, the Canadiens are not in a “win now” mode and Martin St-Louis has said it often, he doesn’t mind players making mistakes, it’s all part of the growing pains. Early in the season, I expect we’ll see Newhook on the wing and perhaps on the third line, just so he has a chance to get used to the team’s concepts, make no mistake though, Hughes made that trade because he sees top-6 potential in the St. John’s native.
With Jonathan Drouin’s departure, we can also expect Newhook to get a shot at playing on the Canadiens’ power play. Year after year, the Habs struggle on the man-advantage and no team can become a contender without a fine-tuned power play. Last year, Montreal was 29th when playing on the man-advantage with a 16.1% success rate. Alex Burrows and Martin St-Louis will be hoping that Newhook’s creativity can inject some energy in their special team.
The Canadiens were also 29th on the penalty kill last season with a 72.7% success rate and Newhook could also see some time on that special team. His versatility was one of the reasons which made Hughes trade for him and there’s no doubt that St-Louis will be eager to see everything his new forward brings to the table.
Obviously, the best-case scenario for Newhook would be that he has a career year in his first season with the Sainte-Flanelle and beats his personal best of 33 points in a season. There are a lot of similarities between the new number 15 and teammate Kirby Dach who needed a fresh start when Hughes acquired him from the Hawks. In 58 games last season, he racked up 38 points which equals a 54-points production rate in a full 82-game campaign. Previously, Dach had never got more than 26 points in a season.
As the season progresses, Newhook’s role will no doubt increase and if he can find his footing in the team’s concepts, he’ll make his way up the line-up and find a role in the top-6 with a good dose of special unit time on ice. Providing he stays healthy, which has mostly been the case in his two NHL seasons so far (he missed a few games with a shoulder injury in 2021), Newhook should be able to break the 40-point bar this season.
Down the line, he may be used as a center, but for now, Suzuki, Dach, Monahan, Evans and Dvorak can all play that position. Given his poor results at the face-off dot and the fact that Hughes has repeatedly said he sees Dach as a center, Newhook should find himself on the wing, at least until perhaps Dvorak is traded and/or Monahan goes at the deadline. Will Kent Hughes’ second gamble on a young forward turn out as well as the Dach one? We’ll find out the answer next season…
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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