I think Hughes should consider throwing his reclamation project playbook out the window. The trade looks iffy right now. Romanov is a rock and the better player, Nazar is more promising, and so Dach looks like the losing end of a three-way trade.
Newhook trade isn't much better... but his game could adapt better to a complimentary role. He has the speed, tenacity and scoring touch to become a great third line winger. A Newhook-Beck-Heineman third line sounds like a nightmare to play against. His lesser draft pedigree and lack of production means he could be signed long term at a bottom 6 salary.
I dont know if Dach has the speed to recycle himself as a big forechecking beast like Anderson and Armia did. His best skill is his hands and they are not good enough to be a real threat. His usefulness as a bottom 6 player is doubtful, as he is surprisingly not dominant as a puck protector on the cycle and he doesnt involve himself enough in the defensive zone, because he just doesnt have that kind of buzzsaw motor. At this stage, I feel like there might not be a role for him either on a scoring line or a depth line. He also has poor body English, doesn't strike me as a super coachable kid, and carries a worrysome injury history... There's a legitimate possibility he is out of the league sooner rather than later. Yet he could also turn it around and find his game to become the player envisionned when he was drafted 3rd overall.
