Nashville | Kent Hughes was unable to reach an agreement with the Winnipeg Jets to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois. But he did not sit quietly.
• Read also: Five things to know about the new acquisition of the Montreal Canadiens, Alex Newhook
The Canadiens’ general manager turned to the Colorado Avalanche to acquire Alex Newhook. In exchange for the 22-year-old forward, the Habs sent Denver a first-round pick (31st overall) from the Florida Panthers, along with Ben Chiarot, their second-round pick (37th overall), and defender Gianni Fairbrother.
Newhook, a 2019 first-round selection of the Avalanche, has just completed his second full season in the NHL. In 82 games, the 5-foot-10-inch-tall Newfoundlander has 30 points, including 14 goals. In his rookie season, he etched his name on the Stanley Cup.
“Alex brings versatility, speed, character, which is important to us, and also brings the experience of winning a Stanley Cup,” Hughes said. He is only 22 years old, so we believe he has a lot of potential. ,
The acquisition is reminiscent of Kirby Dacht, which happened in the first hour of last year’s draft. As was the case with Deutch, Hughes hopes a new environment will give his former protégé a chance to blossom.
“We think we are giving him a better chance (than Colorado). When you’re a young player, it’s not easy to make it into a team that competes for the Stanley Cup,” he said.
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a trite chorus
Martin St.-Louis corroborated his boss’ statements by arguing that Newhook would have far greater responsibilities in the blue-white-red uniform.
The Canadiens head coach reasoned, “He’ll have the opportunity to sit in a better chair.” He was playing 12-13 minutes in Colorado. We can ask more than that. And he’ll play an even bigger role than Colorado. ,
“He is a player who reflects a lot of the things we are looking for, apart from the culture and the style of play that we want to instill. It’s not the biggest, but it plays quite heavy,” he added.
It remains to be seen whether it will be on the wing or in the centre. something that has consistently returned to Montreal since the heyday of Alex Galchenyuk.
St. Louis said, “You can never have too many center players.” We’ve got a lot of guys who can play on the wing as well and that’s what they bring to us. In addition, he can play extensively on the attack and shorthand. ,
The Canadiens and Newhook would now have to agree on contract terms as Newhook would become a restricted free agent on July 1. Negotiations should not be too heated as Hughes was Newhook’s agent before he was hired by the Canadiens.
Hughes said, “When you know someone like no one knows, it’s definitely easier to know how they’ll fit in the locker room.” We are sure it will be a great piece for us. Plus he knows Kirby (Dack) and (Justin) Barron because he played with them for Team Canada. ,
Dubois in Los Angeles
Moreover, as the most persistent rumors suggest, Dubois took the road to Los Angeles. In order to obtain his services, the Kings traded forwards Alex Ifalo, Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari to the Jets. Rob Blake also included a 2024 second-round pick in the trade.
Subsequently, the Kings and Quebecers agreed to terms on an eight-year contract that would earn him a salary of $8.5 million per year.
“Pierre-Luc is a typical center player on both sides of the ice. We are excited to have him join our organization for many years. Over the past few seasons, he has proven himself capable of contributing in many aspects of the game,” said Rob Blake, Kings general manager and vice president.
Hughes would not comment on where talks with Jets counterpart Kevin Chevaldoff stalled or how close the deal came to materializing.