Brendan Gallagher’s departure has opened up more than just a roster spot for the Canadiens - it has left Montreal with a leadership hole to fill. And according to Aaron Ward, the answer could be a name that doesn’t jump out immediately: Alex Newhook.
Ward’s suggestion is a little outside the obvious lane, especially with Nick Suzuki already wearing the C and Mike Matheson holding an A in the Canadiens’ leadership group. But Newhook has enough going for him to make the idea stick.
Ward pointed to his versatility, his penalty-killing work and the way he puts the team first as traits that fit a leadership role. He also leaned on the biggest stage possible as evidence. Newhook scored the game-winning goal in both Game 7s last spring, a clutch detail that stands out in any conversation about who belongs in the room when the pressure spikes.
Two elimination games, two decisive goals. That kind of production doesn’t just help a team win; it changes how a player is viewed.
Ward also raised the possibility of a rotating setup, with one player wearing the A on the road and another at home, though that idea sounds more controversial. Kaiden Guhle is another player with the profile for the job, but his repeated injuries make that path harder to sell right now.
At 25, Newhook is still young, but his case is built on more than age or potential. He put up 25 points in 42 games last season and added 10 points in 19 NHL playoff games, with 7 goals. That combination of versatility, production and big-game finishing is what gives his candidacy real traction.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Sam Montembeault Decision Worth Watching
With the Canadiens carrying more than enough goaltending depth to at least entertain the idea of a move, Sam Montembeault has quietly become a name worth monitoring. Montreal has spent enough time building up its crease to create options, and that alone makes the veteran netminder a different kind of asset than he might have been a year ago. For a team that is still sorting out its bigger picture, it is the sort of situation that can turn a stable position into a trade chip if the right market opens.
Kent Hughes also does not usually operate in the most obvious lanes when he is looking for value, which matters here because a simple goalie-for-pick deal may not be the path he prefers. If Montreal decides Montembeault belongs in play, the return could hinge on a more creative type of transaction, the kind that comes with a player who needs a reset or a contract another club wants to move. The broader goalie market could end up shaping how far that idea goes, and the Canadiens will be watching closely to see whether the right opening ever appears. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Reopen Practice But Dach Questions Are Only Growing
After a one-day closed-door session, the Canadiens were back in front of the public on the ice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, and the usual practice rhythm returned with it. Fans in attendance got a look at the group as it skated, with Kirby Dach among the players spotted during the open session, a small but notable sight for anyone following the clubs day-to-day health and lineup picture.
The brief shutdown has only added to the curiosity around why the team chose to shut things down in the first place. Montreal has not offered an official explanation for the one-day closed-door practice, leaving the move open to interpretation and keeping attention fixed on the details that matter most to a team that is already being watched closely every time it hits the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have More Urgency To Get Arber Xhekaj Signed
Kaiden Guhles recent absence from practice has given the Canadiens another reason to be uneasy as training camp approaches, especially after he was spotted in a tracksuit and then missed the last two sessions in Brossard. Any uncertainty around a young defenseman who has already become a key part of the blue line tends to ripple quickly through the rest of the roster picture, and in Montreal it has only sharpened the focus on the teams defensive depth.
It also adds a little more urgency to Kent Hughes work with Arber Xhekaj, who remains unsigned even while continuing to train with the club. The Canadiens have been carrying on as if the situation will sort itself out, but if Guhle is slowed early in the season, the need for reliable bodies on defense becomes harder to ignore and makes Xhekajs unresolved contract situation loom a lot larger. [Read more 🡒]