Martin St-Louis made a very bold statement regarding the new arrival for the Montreal Canadiens, Alex Newhook

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Elias Edmonson
September 13, 2023 (10:04)

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Apart from the addition of Lias Andersson, Kent Hughes has been rather quiet on the free-agent market this season. However, the general manager did attempt to improve his roster by acquiring a promising young forward via trade. Of course, we're talking about the trade that landed former Colorado Avalanche Alex Newhook.

Although he was present at the traditional Montreal Canadiens golf tournament on Monday, the 22-year-old center did not speak to reporters, unlike the vast majority of his teammates. Head coach Martin St-Louis, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to discuss the newcomer. In fact, the Quebecer made a statement that speaks volumes about the use he intends to make of Alex Newhook, highlighting his qualities and the fact that he wanted to form his own opinion before judging his somewhat disappointing statistics in Colorado.

I haven't seen him play live with my own eyes. I know how he was used in Colorado and I've been very careful about going to watch videos of him because I want to have my own opinion in our environment. I don't want to base my opinion on what he's done in an environment and context I don't really know. I know his strengths. He has an excellent skating stroke, he doesn't get tired, he's competitive and now it's a question of trying to find out what else he can do. What are his qualities? What does he need to work on? Where is he most comfortable? But we know that he can play on the power play, that he can kill penalties, that he can play center, that he can play wing. What makes me happy is that I feel we have a hockey player. I don't think I have a young hockey player, and there's a big difference. We'll see how he fits in with the team. - Martin St-Louis

Wow, it's very encouraging to see that the Tricolore coach wants to give Newhook a chance to shine. He could have used his performance with the Avalanche to get a feel for the player he has on hand, but prefers to wait and see what he'll be able to accomplish in the Canadiens line-up. A wise statement that suggests the former first-round pick will be used in a different context in which he could really explode.

One thing is certain, Newhook has immense potential and, like Kirby Dach, the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge staff plans to give him plenty of opportunities to continue his development. We're convinced he'll take giant steps forward under the guidance of Martin St-Louis. With an annual salary of $2.6 million for the next four seasons, the St. John's-born forward could quickly become a real bargain for the Montreal organization.

Selected 16th overall in the 2019 draft, Newhook will enjoy a new environment that could undoubtedly benefit him greatly. Having amassed 27 goals and 39 assists (66 points) in his first 159 games in the league, we shouldn't be surprised to see his offensive output increase considerably this season and over the next few years.

It will be very interesting to see how he is used during the team's training camp, as he could complete a trio made up of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.