Montreal Canadiens: Can Adam Brooks Be The Next Paul Byron?
On the eve of the 2021-22 season, the Canadiens claimed speedy forward Adam Brooks on waivers from a rival Canadian team, much like Paul Byron was six years ago.
Adam Brooks, a 25-year-old forward drafted and developed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the newest addition to the Montreal Canadiens. He can most easily be described as a speedy bottom-six forward (who can play at centre) with high effort levels, defensive prowess, and enough skill to play in the top-9. Every time I’ve watched him play, in the AHL and NHL alike, I have been impressed. His offensive positioning allows him to score gritty and “lucky” goals and he’s a confident puck-carrier; exactly the kind of player the Habs needed to add for the fourth-line centre role.
While the comparison likely isn’t fair to Brooks, his identity as a player aligns fairly closely to that of Paul Byron when the Habs claimed him off of the Calgary Flames on October 6 in 2015, almost exactly 6 years ago. Since then, Paul Byron has had two 20-goal seasons, four 10-goal seasons, three (and soon to be four) seasons as an assistant captain and has been dubbed by many Habs fans as the team’s best-ever waiver pickup.
While Paul Byron’s place on the team will be more uncertain than ever before and his contract is likely the Canadiens’ worst, the value he has given this team is unquestionable. He will likely be fighting for a roster spot with Adam Brooks, among others, once he returns from injury in December or January. But who is this player the Habs added that I’m perhaps strangely enthusiastic about?
Brooks was twice passed over in the NHL Entry Draft before the Leafs picked him up in the fourth round in 2016 following a ridiculous season with the Regina Pats in the WHL in which he posted 38 goals and 120 points in 72 games, topping the league in points, ahead of a 19-year-old Matthew Barzal and a 16-year-old Nolan Patrick. He then returned to captain Regina the next season, improving on his previous season with 43 goals and 130 points in 66 games, quite nearly a 2 points per game average. He just barely lost the scoring title to his linemate Sam Steel, who got one more point, but both were well ahead of the third-placed Tyler Wong who had 109 points.
So Brooks knew how to score points as a more mature player in junior, something that wasn’t particularly apparent in his draft year when he only had 4 goals and 11 points in 60 games; he certainly was a late bloomer. His ability to produce offensively continued to demonstrate itself in the AHL, where he has accumulated 42 goals and 92 points in 164 games. In a very small NHL sample of 18 games, Brooks has scored 4 goals and 8 points, which is certainly nothing to scoff at.
This is all to show that Brooks does have some point-production upside, just like Paul Byron did when the Habs claimed him. Byron did, of course, have a far more established track record of producing at the NHL level (16 goals and 46 points in 130 games), but he was a 26-year-old among the last cuts of training camp, which is exactly what Adam Brooks was while just being a year younger.
An important thing for players that play on the third pairing or the fourth line (which is where Brooks will likely start) is to have an identity as a player. Guys like Michael Chaput and Kenny Agostino never stuck around because they didn’t really have an identity of what role they could properly fulfill in the NHL. Adam Brooks has an identity, he is very strong defensively and a great skater who can take the puck up the ice and stitch play together between his wingers; he also has the hockey IQ to play with skilled linemates and get some goals himself through smart positioning.
At the same time, Brooks doesn’t have a guaranteed spot in the lineup even with the injuries to Byron and Mike Hoffman. He will have to battle with Cedric Paquette, Ryan Poehling, and Mathieu Perreault for the final two spots on the fourth line next to Artturi Lehkonen. Still, more injuries and cold streaks are going to happen this season and Brooks will likely get some time in the top-9 to shake things up and I believe he is going to cement a spot in the Habs lineup for himself.
Jack Han, Brooks’ former assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies explained on TVA Sports that Brooks is a real student of the game who should be regarded as more than just a defensive specialist. He also continues that he values him similarly to Jake Evans and that, while both are solid defensive players, they have their differences. He finishes by predicting that if Brooks is given a full 82 games but no time on the powerplay, he’ll put up 30 points; for reference, Paul Byron scored 11 goals and 18 points in 62 games in his first year as a Hab.
Brooks definitely doesn’t have top-6 upside, just as Byron wouldn’t have seen top-6 minutes had he not played on a Habs team with a weak forward corps. However, a third-line role really shouldn’t be deemed impossible for the Winnipeg native, who is sure to become a fan favourite with his responsibility defensively, his great skating, and his knack for scoring timely goals.
All statistics are courtesy of EliteProspects.com.