Canadiens Stay Busy And Sign Alex Newhook

Just after announcing that they had signed their lone free agent (RFA), defenseman Arber Xhekaj to a one-year $1.5 million contract, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they had locked up forward Alex Newhook to a four-year $22.2 million ($5.5M AAV) contract extension.

The Montreal Canadiens announced the Arber Xhekaj signing at 5:01 pm ET and at 5:16 pm ET they were releasing a press release that they had secured four more years of the 25-year-old Newhook who showed his true potential when it mattered most in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After an injury-plagued season that saw Alex Newhook miss 40 games, the speedy forward scored the game-winning goal in both of the Canadiens’ Game 7 victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning and then the Buffalo Sabres. Newhook finished the Canadiens’ run to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final with seven goals and three assists in 19 games after 13 goals and finishing the season with 25 points in 42 games.

Alex Newhook is heading into the final season of a four-year $11.6 million ($2.9M AAV) contract. The Montreal Canadiens acquired Newhook from the Colorado Avalanche on June 27, 2023. In exchange for Newhook, the Canadiens sent the Avalanche a first and second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and defenseman prospect Gianni Fairbrother. Since being acquired by the Canadiens, Newhook has 43 goals and 42 assists in 179 regular season games, and has lit the lamp eight times and had four assists in 24 Stanley Cup Playoffs games for the Canadiens. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound forward haas scored 70 goals to go with 81 assists in 338 NHL regular season games, and has scored nine goals and registered ten assists in 51 Stanley Cup Playoffs games.

With Newhook signed, the Montreal Canadiens now have five of their potential top 9 forward group for this upcoming season signed through at least 2030. Newhook, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Zach Bolduc. They and the rest of a 57-man roster will report to training camp and do their medical examinations on Wednesday morning and then kick off the on-ice sessions on Thursday morning.