The Montreal Canadiens locked up two more pieces on Tuesday, giving Alex Newhook a four-year extension and Arber Xhekaj a new one-year deal.
Newhook’s contract comes with a $5.55-million cap hit, while Xhekaj’s deal is worth $1.5 million for this season. Xhekaj was a restricted free agent and will be an RFA with arbitration rights next summer.
Newhook, 25, is coming off a season that had two very different chapters. In the regular season, he put up 13 goals and 25 points in 42 games. Then he caught fire in the playoffs, finishing with seven goals and 10 points in 19 games and scoring the series-winning goals in Game 7 of both the first and second rounds.
He was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. This season, he’ll carry a $2.9-million cap hit.
Montreal acquired Newhook from the Colorado Avalanche in June 2023. Over six NHL seasons split between Colorado and Montreal, he has 70 goals and 151 points in 338 career games.
Xhekaj, meanwhile, brought his usual physical edge last season. He finished with one goal, four points and 116 penalty minutes in 65 games, and he led the Canadiens with 140 hits. He also added two points and 28 penalty minutes in 13 playoff games.
The 25-year-old has played 230 career games over four seasons in Montreal, piling up 10 goals, 33 points and 416 penalty minutes. The Canadiens signed him as an undrafted free agent in October 2021.
The move leaves four unsigned RFAs around the NHL: Cutter Gauthier of Anaheim, Alexander Nikishin of Carolina, Adam Fantilli of Columbus and Simon Edvinsson of Detroit.
Montreal also signed RFA Zack Bolduc to a four-year contract with a $4.2-million cap hit on Sunday.
After Xhekaj’s signing, the Canadiens have $2.8 million in projected cap space, according to PuckPedia.
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Xhekaj has already built a resume of 230 games over four seasons with the Canadiens, and his physical style has made him a recognizable part of the mix when Montreal wants more edge on the back end. Now the real issue is how he fits into the opening-night picture, with a regular role still to be earned and the camp competition expected to be wide open. [Read more 🡒]
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Nick Suzuki and Chris Kreider have both been among the strongest voices backing St. Louis, pointing to his teaching ability and obvious passion for the game. Kreiders respect for him goes back even before St. Louis arrived in Montreal, while Suzuki has made it clear the coach has earned a level of trust in the room that is hard to miss, which makes the long-term commitment feel as much like a reflection of the players as the front office. [Read more 🡒]