Confirmed with Link: Alex Newhook: 4 years, 2.9 mill per

[Lafleurs Guy]

A rise in the standings is likely to happen with or without Petry. At this point the question should really be does he help the development of our young players or does he hurt it by taking up the needed ice time.

Whether we’re going to rise without him doesn’t matter much in my opinion. I think he’ll raise us regardless. Id prefer we deal him.

Moreover, I hate the thought of him getting hurt and lowering/losing his value. If we can get get good value I hope we can trade him ahead of time. But I don’t think Hughes will give him for nothing and I’m good with waiting if the offers aren’t up to snuff.

Dach started and finished the season at center, he wasn't put on Suzuki's wing because Suzuki was struggling he was put there because he was struggling at center.

I never said, nor suggested that Suzuki was struggling. I do think they were never better than they were with Dach though. It was a really good line while it was together.

But given that he found his groove at center to finish the season it's a safe bet that they will once again put him at center and only move him to wing if there are serious problems with the top two lines. Newhook is far more likely to be the one on Suzuki's wing although that's not a foregone conclusion as others also have a case.

We’ll see. It won’t surprise me at all if it’s another year of experimenting.who knows, we may even see CC on Dach’s wing at some point. Might as well test things out now.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I suspect the main reason Hughes wants to trade Petry now is that he wants to give the playing time to Barron. Also, Petry probably would rather be elsewhere. I suspect it isn't because he wants to tank.

I'd like to see how Petry can do for us up until the TDL, give Barron 25 minutes a night in Laval, and call him up when there are injuries. Or Barron, Xhekaj, and Harris could rotate going down to Laval and getting 25 minutes a night.

That’s the other thing. We have a logjam of young defenders.

Sooner or later we have to start to get better and stop fearing that such improvement, however incremental it is, will adversely affect our draft position. I’m old enough to remember when the Canadiens were viewed as the ‘Yankees of Hockey’. How far have we fallen. Call me short sighted in wanting to see Petry play a significant role for us ( how ever short it may be) than having to endure watching opposing forwards skating around marginal players like Kovacevic and Wideman with ease. Its hard to re- establish a winning culture. We have been so irrelevant for so long that some fans are fearful of taking any steps that may effect that change. As if drafting 10th instead of 5th or 6th will impede that improvement.

I welcome improvement. But I’d like that improvement to come in the form of younger players developing into a strong young team. I don’t want to artificially pump up the standings by acquiring older players.

I think Petry is more valuable to us as a tradeable asset than anything. It opens the door to younger players getting ice time and will likely result in a lower placement in the standings. We’re a developing team and should stick with the plan.

The benefit he’d bring as a mentor I think is outweighed by his trade value.

 

[Rapala]

I suspect the main reason Hughes wants to trade Petry now is that he wants to give the playing time to Barron. Also, Petry probably would rather be elsewhere. I suspect it isn't because he wants to tank.

I'd like to see how Petry can do for us up until the TDL, give Barron 25 minutes a night in Laval, and call him up when there are injuries. Or Barron, Xhekaj, and Harris could rotate going down to Laval and getting 25 minutes a night.

So what is wrong with a Petry/Savard/Barron RD?
The thing that I do like about Petry is he should help us get better on the scoreboard. I'm also not a huge fan of playing players on their weak sides unless they grew up that way as in left handed Russians. So is keeping Kovacevik in the line-up more important than tryng to help Suzuki Caufield Dach etc with their O games? For me it's not. Particularly when the future is Mailloux and Reinbacher in two years tops.

 

[26Mats]

So what is wrong with a Petry/Savard/Barron RD?
The thing that I do like about Petry is he should help us get better on the scoreboard. I'm also not a huge fan of playing players on their weak sides unless they grew up that way as in left handed Russians. So is keeping Kovacevik in the line-up more important than tryng to help Suzuki Caufield Dach etc with their O games? For me it's not.

If we don't play a Dman on their weak side, what do we do with Harris or Xhekaj, given we have Matheson and Guhle as the top 2 LD's. I say Barron would get sent down, but it could be Xhekaj or Harris if Petry starts in Montreal and we don't want to play Harris or Xhekaj on their weak side.

If we trade Petry, the choice then becomes do you play Kovacevic in the top 6 or Xhekaj or Harris in the top 6 on their weak side, or do you send one of them down.

So, yes, if the plan is to play everyone on their natural side, then keeping Petry only means Kovacevic loses his spot in the lineup.

 

[Rapala]

If we don't play a Dman on their weak side, what do we do with Harris or Xhekaj, given we have Matheson and Guhle as the top 2 LD's. I say Barron would get sent down, but it could be Xhekaj or Harris if Petry starts in Montreal and we don't want to play Harris or Xhekaj on their weak side.

If we trade Petry, the choice then becomes do you play Kovacevic in the top 6 or Xhekaj or Harris in the top 6 on their weak side, or do you send one of them down.

So, yes, if the plan is to play everyone on their natural side, then keeping Petry only means Kovacevic loses his spot in the lineup.

Indeed it comes down to priorities.

 

[Tripledeke333]

LOL. Petry has more than 3rd rounder value as is, with NO retention. $4.688M for two years is a fine contract for a 2/3 RHD with size, skating, experience and some scoring. The only issue is the time of year - it is harder to trade a guy with a caphit of ~$4.7M when teams already have their cap structure in place. You have to find a fit with a team that probably needs to give you back salary, and then you want to make sure what you get back actually helps your team advance.

Hughes is under zero pressure to move Petry for less than value. When the original trade request was made during the COVID-restriction period, when there was also a human element to consider, Ient did not give Jeff away. If he did not cave then, he certainly won't now.

If any team out there wants the positive contribution of Petry during a 2 year competitive window, and has not enough cap space to afford him, then they have to give up significant futures for that luxury. That is how the NHL market works.

I agree, but to clarify, I did say Petry’s value was AT LEAST a 3rd, meaning the very absolute firesale liquidation minimum we would get in a trade is a 3rd. I did not say his value was a 3rd.

 

[Sorinth]

LOL. Petry has more than 3rd rounder value as is, with NO retention. $4.688M for two years is a fine contract for a 2/3 RHD with size, skating, experience and some scoring. The only issue is the time of year - it is harder to trade a guy with a caphit of ~$4.7M when teams already have their cap structure in place. You have to find a fit with a team that probably needs to give you back salary, and then you want to make sure what you get back actually helps your team advance.

Hughes is under zero pressure to move Petry for less than value. When the original trade request was made during the COVID-restriction period, when there was also a human element to consider, Ient did not give Jeff away. If he did not cave then, he certainly won't now.

If any team out there wants the positive contribution of Petry during a 2 year competitive window, and has not enough cap space to afford him, then they have to give up significant futures for that luxury. That is how the NHL market works.

So why didn't Pittsburgh just trade Petry to a team who was willing to pay for him?

There's a half decent chance that Petry doesn't have a lot if any value if a team has to take on 5m in caphit. We have the advantage of possibly getting Petry to go to a team on his NTC since his alternative is arguably worse, but we also should be able to take on a cap dump or retain furthur on a Petry trade which unlocks his real trade value.

 

[BaseballCoach]

So why didn't Pittsburgh just trade Petry to a team who was willing to pay for him?

Time of year, and Pittsburgh unable to take cap back.

 

[26Mats]

Indeed it comes down to priorities.

What I would probably do is rotate young guys who aren't playing down to Laval. So if Petry is here, our top 4 is Matheson, Savard, Guhle, Petry. Harris and Xhekaj could rotate. Kovacevic could start as the 7th dman. But even he shouldn't sit too long. Barron can be sent down at times. I've never seen this done. But I don't like young players sitting too much. Wideman is the ideal 7th. He can sit almost the whole year like Frolic did.

Anyways, there will be injuries.

 

[Rapala]

So why didn't Pittsburgh just trade Petry to a team who was willing to pay for him?

There's a half decent chance that Petry doesn't have a lot if any value if a team has to take on 5m in caphit. We have the advantage of possibly getting Petry to go to a team on his NTC since his alternative is arguably worse, but we also should be able to take on a cap dump or retain furthur on a Petry trade which unlocks his real trade value.

His value will go up after camps are out and teams realize they have huge holes at RD. The cap however will remain to be the key factor in moving Petry. His true value in a transaction would probably require cap coming back so a player that can help us short term while retaining value. Otherwise a TDL move makes the most sense given his NTC.

 

[Sorinth]

Time of year, and Pittsburgh unable to take cap back.

Yet your original statement was that we could trade Petry without taking cap back and it's the exact same time of year.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Yet your original statement was that we could trade Petry without taking cap back and it's the exact same time of year.

I also said we need to be patient. I'm not pushing for an immediate trade. I see only a limited number of teams that might want to add a 2/3 D at $4.688M right now. Three, four, five maybe? Not sure.

Also I think Hughes is happy to take one-year cap back if he gets draft capital, prospects or young roster players. I just don't think he will retain, or retain much, without a massive sweetener.

I proposed one such deal in case Washington wants to add and try to compete for two more years.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

I also said we need to be patient. I'm not pushing for an immediate trade. I see only a limited number of teams that might want to add a 2/3 D at $4.688M right now. Three, four, five maybe? Not sure.

Also I think Hughes is happy to take one-year cap back if he gets draft capital, prospects or young roster players. I just don't think he will retain, or retain much, without a massive sweetener.

I proposed one such deal in case Washington wants to add and try to compete for two more years.

Nobody wants him at 4.6 mil currently. It will be at least late in pre season before a team is interested (if they suffer injuries or aren't happy with what they have)

 

[SlafySZN]

 

[the valiant effort]

Stop retiring numbers !!!!!

 

[Alienblood]

Drouin was also horrendous defensively which Newhook wasn't.

Newhook was also playing center, not wing, and was often playing a 3rd line role instead of the top 6 and PP time that Drouin got.

Newhook couldn't cut it at c and played mostly wing

 

[Belial]

Newhook couldn't cut it at c and played mostly wing

It's fine, we'll play him on the wing.

 

[SlafySZN]

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Newhook couldn't cut it at c and played mostly wing

If he played mostly on the wing then he wasn't given much of a shot to play centre.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

Crazy how some seem to believe the past will repeat itself continuously with a guy who only has 2 pro seasons and comes with a good to very good pedigree.

It's irrelevant if he failed in his opportunities last year. It doesn't mean he will keep failing.

Just like that clown Ettedgui who says noone missed Newhook in Colorado. It just isn't relevant. There are too many hockey podcasts out there. They give a microphone to some real idiots with nothing of value to contribute.

 

[Miller Time]

The odds are in our favour that Newhook will be a bargain for most of his deal...

2.9M, today, for an average top 9 winger, is very reasonable.

Assuming cap goes up over next 4 seasons, that moves in our favour even if he plateaus at his current level.

If he improves a bit, be it from progression or even just from opportunity (ice time, pp time), it's good for us.

If he finds the confidence that made him one of the best hockey players on the planet his age in his draft year, and translates that to NHL impact... Hughes will end up looking like a magician lol

Future is bright

 

[Alienblood]

If he played mostly on the wing then he wasn't given much of a shot to play centre.

no not really Bednar said he would get an extended look but he only got a few games.

 

[Belial]

no not really Bednar said he would get an extended look but he only got a few games.

He took 500 faceoffs, that's quite some faceoffs for someone who didn't play center...

 

[Alienblood]

He took 500 faceoffs, that's quite some faceoffs for someone who didn't play center...

ya he played some center , I was talking 2C actually.

He didn't get as much if a chance as I would have liked but what do you do.

Not overly happy with how he was handled.

 

[Belial]

ya he played some center , I was talking 2C actually.

He didn't get as much if a chance as I would have liked but what do you do.

Not overly happy with how he was handled.

Bednar and the organization didn't have the time for development.

That's why they traded him, to acquire win now guys.