Acquisition of a talented forward in exchange for two high draft picks: Did Kent Hughes make the right decision to pass on Ethan Gauthier?
Last June, just hours before the NHL draft, Kent Hughes acquired Alex Newhook in exchange for the 31st and 37th picks.
The 37th pick was later traded to the Lightning by the Avalanche, and Julien Brisebois selected Ethan Gauthier. Gauthier's name had been linked to the Canadiens, and given his draft position, the Canadiens could have had him without making the Newhook trade.
With a collection of 30 points in 28 games, Denis Gauthier's son has just earned his first professional contract by signing his entry-level contract in the NHL.
It's easy to say that the Canadiens were short-term losers because Newhook is currently injured and not helping the team. However, he was on pace for 43 points over 82 games, which doesn't necessarily meet expectations.
Sacrificing a first-round pick and an early second-round pick for a player with fewer than 50 points is a steep price.
Newhook is still young, and his ceiling hasn't been reached; it's too early to determine if the Canadiens made the right move in this trade. However, with Gauthier's signing and his known assets, he will need to be closely watched in the coming years to form an honest assessment of this exchange.
It could age poorly.
| POLL | ||
Would you have preferred that Kent Hughes select at the 31st and 37th picks instead of acquiring Newhook? | ||
| Yes | 117 | 41.6 % |
| No | 164 | 58.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
