When the Montreal Canadiens traded first and second round picks to the Colorado Avalanche for Alex Newhook, I’ll admit that I thought it was overpay. He hadn’t shown me enough in Colorado to warrant the high cost of acquisition.
The only way to justify this deal for the Canadiens is if Newhook takes full advantage of his opportunity and shows that he is a bona fide top six option. While there is still work to be done in that regard, his performance in Anaheim gave us a glimpse of what he could do if he reaches his potential.
The versatile forward has been all over the lineup sheet, moving from the second line to the third line to the first line while playing both center and wing at various points in the season. He also plays on both special teams units which has given bench boss Martin St. Louis the type of swiss army knife player that all coaches covet.
However apart from opening night in Toronto where Newhook scored twice, his offensive output had been incredibly underwhelming. He scored just two goals in the next 17 games and if it wasn’t for the struggles of goalless Josh Anderson, he may have been at the top of the whipping boy rankings.
I for one have been beating the drum for Jesse Ylonen to get a look on the first or second line and would not have minded it coming at Newhook’s expense. The native of St. John’s, Newfoundland has been largely inconsistent in the offensive end and while there was no doubt he could skate stride for stride with anybody in the league, he had not shown himself to be a difference maker.
That’s what makes his breakthrough performance against the Ducks so encouraging. Newhook notched two goals on the night, including the game winner. A plus 2 rating in 19:12 of ice time, he was the third most used forward behind only Nick Suzuki and Sean Monahan. More importantly, he showed game breaking ability and was noticeable on every shift.
Newhook used his strongest attribute, his blazing speed, to create separation on both of his goals while showing the finish that made him such a lethal force in the college ranks. The still 22 year-old is currently on pace for 25 goals this season, which would easily eclipse his previous career best of 14.
The Canadiens have long had too many high floor players and not enough high ceiling players. Newhook is a high ceiling player. I had been questioning whether he belonged on the second line let alone the first and it was only one game, but for the first time he looked the part.
The electric combination of his speed and skill is undeniable. If Newhook can consistently harness that energy and continue to learn the nuances of the game, then we have only seen a fraction of what he can do.
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