Player Discussion Alex Newhook (Part 2) : Book an Appointment with New Look Edition

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The league currently values speed and he seems to have a good motor on him too. It won't surprise me if he has a bit of a breakout next season. Rarely seen a man hit as many posts or just miss wide open nets as he does.
 
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He's the modern Michael Grabner, except I don't even think he's that good. He's a Dzingel/Kapanen(Kasperi)/Grabner/Anderson type who makes up for a lack of hockey IQ by simply being faster than everyone. We've seen soooo many of these type of players over the last decade. Most of them fizzle out since they usually suck defensively. If he's lucky, he could end up becoming Duclair and carve out a decent career.

I actually don't mind him as the 3rd line center moving forward if it's a reasonable price. Speed is important to have on a team and his defensive game is slowly improving.
The truth about most non-star NHL players is that their careers sink or swim not based on what they are good at but what they are bad at. For Newhook that's going to be his defensive play, if he can become defensively responsible and add a PK element to his game he'll have a long career, if the only element of his game is his speed and offence he won't.

The good news is I feel he has taken big steps in becoming a well rounded player. Next season I'd be very curious to see a Heineman - Newhook - Anderson line, with a little chemistry that can be a dangerous 3rd line that leaves opponent's in the dust.
 
Newhook spent the season with Laine and Dach, and no time on PP1. I don't think anybody would do particularly well with these two. He is clearly improving and the best 5vs5 player on his line.

Next year, Newhook will likely be playing with Demidov, and you will see more points for him.
 
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The truth about most non-star NHL players is that their careers sink or swim not based on what they are good at but what they are bad at. For Newhook that's going to be his defensive play, if he can become defensively responsible and add a PK element to his game he'll have a long career, if the only element of his game is his speed and offence he won't.

The good news is I feel he has taken big steps in becoming a well rounded player. Next season I'd be very curious to see a Heineman - Newhook - Anderson line, with a little chemistry that can be a dangerous 3rd line that leaves opponent's in the dust.

Is Newhook actually bad at the PK, or is he just not among the four forwards that MSL has chosen for his PK?
 
Newhook spent the season with Laine and Dach, and no time on PP1. I don't think anybody would do particularly well with these two. He is clearly improving and the best 5vs5 player on his line.

Next year, Newhook will likely be playing with Demidov, and you will see more points for him.
He is looking better with Laine now, who is slowly improving 5v5. I don't think Laine is ever going to be a beast 5v5 anyways, so if Newhook is going to make the most of this audition, he will need to keep improving his defensive game. Demidov is known to have a good 200 ft game. I think Newhook could do well with these two next year. He is also improving on the dot as well. 50% against COL, 87.5% against NYI after getting torn apart against OTT and FLA. You can see he is trying. 43% on the year so far. Maybe he can be the replacement for Dvorak at the very least.
 
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Watching Newhook it feels like he's just scratching the surface and is in the process to take his game to a higher level. The big question is how high could that next level be? He has all the skills and has sort of been unlucky with goals etc. Very similar to Lehky when he was here. Lehky with McKinnon is a total stud. I'm really looking forward to see if he can take his game to another level and if management gets that piece to help him.
 
Newhook spent the season with Laine and Dach, and no time on PP1. I don't think anybody would do particularly well with these two. He is clearly improving and the best 5vs5 player on his line.

Next year, Newhook will likely be playing with Demidov, and you will see more points for him.
Newhook played a good bit with Suzuki and Caufield, he did sweet f*** all. I don't think Newhook will be in a position to play with Demidov next year.
 
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I could see Newhook between Heineman and Anderson on a straight forward checking line.
These guys are all very similar North South Individual playmakers.
Their speed and physicality would create havoc and I think Newhook has to excel in a defending role in the future.
 
Newhook is this year's Anderson or Byron in Calgary. He's in the games and getting a ton of chances, they're just not going in.

I do think he's still part of the solution going forward. Maybe a third-line guy who can fill in on the top six if needed.
 
Newhook is this year's Anderson or Byron in Calgary. He's in the games and getting a ton of chances, they're just not going in.

I do think he's still part of the solution going forward. Maybe a third-line guy who can fill in on the top six if needed.
I could see us starting next year with a 3rd line of:

Anderson - Newhook - Dach

We'll see if Dach is back next year or used in the package to get a new 2c... But if he's back, I'd expect him to start on the wing on the 2nd or 3rd line.
 
I could see us starting next year with a 3rd line of:

Anderson - Newhook - Dach

We'll see if Dach is back next year or used in the package to get a new 2c... But if he's back, I'd expect him to start on the wing on the 2nd or 3rd line.
Fair play.

I personally think Dach's done here (unfortunate because I like the guy and the player he could have been, but fear that's over) but I agree if he does come back it'll be on the wing.

That gives us a 4th of Gally- Evans - Heineman. Not too shabby.
 
Newhook is a good top 9 piece. I think, he is a important piece for this team, he can be better, he can have better offensive numbers.

When we acquering him, I see top 6 potential, but he is more suited on 3rd line role.
 
Newhook played a good bit with Suzuki and Caufield, he did sweet f*** all. I don't think Newhook will be in a position to play with Demidov next year.
Newhook is a Paul Bryon to me. A speedy 40 point bottom 6 center/winget. He just can't score. He should, he was a high pick in draft, scored in junior/college/AHL. Got to NHL, just couldn't score. It's an oddity.
 
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Before the game, they said he's the player with the most chances off zone entry in the whole league since being moved to center. Definitely more involved and can use his speed more. Didn't predict that, thats for sure.

He has some nice assets (but a limiting IQ), lets see if he can use them adequately over a full season. Still a young player, a middle player that can play all 3 positions is a good asset.

Still which they'd develop him for the PK with his speed. Then he'd be really useful.
 
The Habs will seek out a 2C option this summer, but those don't grow on trees, and they could come out of the offseason empty handed.

Newhook is showing he belongs at center. That's where he can maximize his best asset, speed. Realistically, if things go well for him, he's a career middle-six center.

My question is : how bad would it be to have a Laine-Newhook-Demidov second line going into next season? It's not ideal, but he's the best they have right now (including Dach). Newhook is playing himself into the contingency plan conversation at 2C. Would it be smarter to keep Newhook there until a prospect like Hage is ready, or to overpay Sam Bennett?
 
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The Habs will seek out a 2C option this summer, but those don't grow on trees, and they could come out of the offseason empty handed.

Newhook is showing he belongs at center. That's where he can maximize his best asset, speed. Realistically, if things go well for him, he's a career middle-six center.

My question is : how bad would it be to have a Laine-Newhook-Demidov second line going into next season? It's not ideal, but he's the best they have right now (including Dach). Newhook is playing himself into the contingency plan conversation at 2C. Would it be smarter to keep Newhook there until a prospect like Hage is ready, or to overpay Sam Bennett?
Smarter to play Newhook at 2C than sign Bennett. Demidov and Newhook are going to be a very good duo.
 
Newhook is slowly winning me over to be honest. He's got the motor, he's got good hands and a good shot, and is finding some confidence of late.

Remains to be seen what he can really become but I'd make that trade again today. I think ideally we find a 2C that can drive the play more, but in a supporting role for our core forwards, he's a useful piece.
 
Before the game, they said he's the player with the most chances off zone entry in the whole league since being moved to center. Definitely more involved and can use his speed more. Didn't predict that, thats for sure.

He has some nice assets (but a limiting IQ), lets see if he can use them adequately over a full season. Still a young player, a middle player that can play all 3 positions is a good asset.

Still which they'd develop him for the PK with his speed. Then he'd be really useful.

I bet we do see him take on some PK duties next year if he's back.
 
Before the game, they said he's the player with the most chances off zone entry in the whole league since being moved to center. Definitely more involved and can use his speed more. Didn't predict that, thats for sure.

He has some nice assets (but a limiting IQ), lets see if he can use them adequately over a full season. Still a young player, a middle player that can play all 3 positions is a good asset.

Still which they'd develop him for the PK with his speed. Then he'd be really useful.

Newhook is slowly winning me over to be honest. He's got the motor, he's got good hands and a good shot, and is finding some confidence of late.

Remains to be seen what he can really become but I'd make that trade again today. I think ideally we find a 2C that can drive the play more, but in a supporting role for our core forwards, he's a useful piece.

He's underappreciated due to a rough start of the year. I think he was affected by the start of the year the same way Kapanen was. Both good players, but the team was in disarray and that second line was just brutal, especially Dach. It's been two years though that he's shown better play at center than on the wing.

There was also a shift where he spent some time with Anderson and Gallagher. I liked how he was distributing. He might be a good answer to the third line. Dach can take Armia's spot, as in any event, he'll need to be reintegrated slowly to the lineup after the last two years.
 

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