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5 Bargain RFAs Philadelphia Flyers Should Trade For

By Jonathan Bailey

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 13: K'Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers prior to the game against the Arizona Coyotes on November 13, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 13: K'Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers prior to the game against the Arizona Coyotes on November 13, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images) /
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Alex Newhook lifts the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Alex Newhook lifts the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

I already named Alex Newhook as a potential trade option when the Kevin Hayes trade rumors started to take off, but time is starting to tick off of the clock for teams trying to get draft picks for their assets ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. While Hayes isn’t a draft pick, he might come with one, especially considering that it seems his trade market seems to have cooled substantially between then and now. In addition to his report on Yegor Sharangovich on his 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman added that the Columbus Blue Jackets are starting to pull out of the race for Kevin Hayes, and to state the obvious, that there is no way back for Hayes in Philly.

The Colorado Avalanche certainly underachieved in the playoffs when they were eliminated by the Seattle Kraken in the first round. This is certainly not to blame Newhook, but his performance didn’t help their bid for a title defense all that much. In his playoff career, Newhook has just one goal and six assists in 27 games, and has a plus-minus of -3. His regular season numbers aren’t much better, as he posted 30 points in 82 games this year and regressed on the 33 he had in 71 games last year. Newhook is fast, has all the tools, and brings some moxie to the offensive zone, but it’s just not all there yet. The Avalanche’s bottom-six is barren as far as playmakers and scorers go, so it’s not all Newhook’s fault all the time.

The Avalanche only recently drafted Newhook 16th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, and it might behoove them to try and maximize the performances they get out of their youth instead of recycling them for veterans that might better compliment Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon. It comes down to a toss-up on what the Avs front office feels is best for their team, and whether or not committing to another Cup run so soon will be worth the hassle. It’s entirely possible that Newhook never thrives as a third-liner and flames out as a Morgan Frost-type. We’ll never know unless he gets a run with real minutes, which is unlikely in Colorado. If the Avalanche are unwilling to continue to try and bring Newhook further along, that’ll be a red flag to teams aspiring to be as successful as the Avs. But, if I’m Daniel Briere, I’m at least considering putting some feelers out there. Kevin Hayes and a draft pick aren’t massive wagers to gamble away on an NHL talent.

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