The general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes, is going through a difficult time.
His bet on Alex Newhook seems to be collapsing before his eyes, and with each match, the frustration of the fans is felt more.
It is increasingly clear that, in his moments of lucidity, Hughes admits to those around him that he has made a major mistake.
A costly mistake with Newhook
Hughes paid a lot to get Newhook from Colorado: a first-round pick and another in the second round.
It’s obvious that even if Hughes wanted to turn things around by trading Newhook today, no team would be willing to offer the same value he paid for him. (31st and 37th picks overall)
This hasty transaction highlights reckless management, especially since Colorado almost didn’t need to trade: Hughes was willing to do whatever it took to acquire a player he believed was essential to his top team. 6.
Oddly enough, Hughes thought he had shined in his previous deals. The exchange of Alex Romanov for a 13th overall pick in the 2022 draft was unanimously welcomed.
This asset was then converted to Kirby Dach, a decision also well received, although past injuries and Dach’s horrible start to the season now weaken this acquisition.
Romanov has become a defensive pillar for Patrick Roy and the Islanders. With Arber
Much more than Dach.
But with Newhook, Hughes seems to have let his confidence betray him. Perhaps the fact that Newhook was a former client made him believe he could repeat the feat. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different.
Let’s not be afraid of words: Newhook is a limited player, compared to a “smaller Josh Anderson”
On paper, Newhook offers speed and some versatility. However, his playing intelligence and vision are limited, preventing him from establishing himself as a truly elite striker.
In this sense, he recalls Josh Anderson: an explosive athlete, but whose speed of mental execution does not always follow. Hughes must now admit that he was too optimistic.
Kent Hughes finds himself in an awkward situation, a victim of his own confidence. He thought he had found a rare gem in Alex Newhook, but reality shows a useful player, certainly, but far from expectations.
Hughes will now have to learn from this blunder if he wants to avoid repeating the management errors that once haunted Marc Bergevin when he traded two 2nd round picks for plumber Andrew Shaw.
In the end, Bergevin missed Alex DeBrincat and Samuel Girard…and still misses them today.
Kent Hughes wanted to speed up the reconstruction. He was wrong. CH fans thought he was superhuman. But Barron’s trade for Lehkonen was catastrophic,
That of Dach for the 13th overall pick for Romanov is unsettling, especially since he wanted Jonathan Lekkerimaki at 13th overall.
The Swede will become a real star in the NHL. Dach may be a player who never recovers from his injuries.
And you have Alex Newhook, a speedy plumber who will never be a TOP 6 forward, for a 1st and 2nd round pick.
Is Kent Hughes such a good GM? You add the fiasco of selecting David Reinbacher instead of Matvei Michkov and we’re scratching our heads.
Marc Bergevin…get out of this body…
