One of the Montreal Canadiens’ biggest offseason acquisitions was former Colorado Avalanche centre Alex Newhook.
Considered both a surprise and consolation prize to another bright, young forward, it took Habs fans a little while to digest the move that involved Montreal sending their 31st and 37th picks in the 2023 Draft and defenceman Gianni Fairbrother away.
But as things stand now, Montreal may have lucked out.
Let’s take a moment, if we may, to rewind to a few short months ago.
In late June, the offseason race to acquire RFA forward Pierre-Luc Dubois was heating up, and the Canadiens were a frontrunner. After the French Canadian forward made it clear that he wanted a change of scenery, the price tag on Dubois, formerly a member of the Winnipeg Jets, was increasing rapidly.
Canadiens fans were pushing for GM Kent Hughes to get a deal done, especially since the 24-year-old expressed interest in playing for Montreal. But overpaying for the centre was out of the question. The Los Angeles Kings took the bait instead, giving up forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft in a trade for Dubois.
Now on an eight-year contract, carrying an AAV of $8.5 million through the 2030-31 season, Dubois has not made a huge splash since making his debut in California, netting five goals and four assists in his first 17 games with the Kings.
While he has plenty of time to prove himself, LA is holding their breath, hoping their large gamble pays off.
Newhook, on the other hand, has been playing way above his $2.9 million cap hit. So far, the 22-year-old has netted an even six goals and six assists over 19 games with Montreal, looking comfortable in the top six.
It’s also worth noting that the Halifax native is two years Dubois’ junior and approximately five and a half million dollars cheaper for the next four years, making him a better fit for Montreal’s cap scenario and future winning window.
If he continues at this pace, the Canadiens will have no complaints, as they reap the benefits of his affordable deal for years to come.
It may be too early to evaluate if Montreal made the right choice or not, but as the adage goes… so far, so good.
- You might also like:
- If the Canadiens want to trade Montembeault, the time is now