As Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook inches closer to a return, the Habs face having to make a hard decision. However, that was actually always going to be the best-case scenario when he suffered his broken ankle back in November… that it would be difficult to slot him in once healthy, because everyone would be performing well in his absence.
As a refresher, playing on a line with rookies Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, Newhook got off to a very fast start to the season, with six goals and 12 points in his first 17 games. That amounts to a 58-point pace over a full 82 games, which is actually representative of the degree to which he produced in his first season with the Canadiens in 2023-24 (15 goals and 34 points in 55 games). While he matched his career-high 15 goals in 2024-25, he struggled overall, as they and his 26 total points came over a complete season.
So, who is the real Alex Newhook? At the very least, he’s a player who projects as someone who can contribute just about anywhere in the lineup… but where will he end up? Ranked in increasing order of likelihood, here are the top five places he’ll be deployed:
5. On Second Line Replacing Kapanen
There’s no denying Newhook has benefitted from an incredibly high 25.0% shooting percentage. However, looking at the success Kapanen has enjoyed playing with Demidov, the Canadiens must consider the possibility it’s sustainable. And, if so, maybe Newhook is simply more dangerous than Kapanen and a worthwhile alternative down the middle.
It’s easy to forget Newhook plays centre, because the Canadiens have largely played him on the wing… and his 44.3 success rate taking faceoffs since being acquired in 2023 probably has something to do with it. Kapanen may not be the greatest in the dot (47.3%), but he has been an upgrade, at least in that regard. So, this would be a clear case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
4. On Second Line Replacing Slafkovsky
By a similar token, replacing Juraj Slafkovsky on the wing of that second line is probably also nonsensical in the minds of many. After all, since moving to the Demidov line, Slafkovsky has taken a huge step in his development to the point he’s already eclipsed his previous career high in goals (20, now 21), with 25 games to go.
The difference between the two scenarios so far is twofold, though. For starters, Newhook would be moving back into the role in which he found success to start the season. Secondly, Slafkovsky could realistically slot back in on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, with whom he formed an incredibly efficient unit over the last few seasons.
Nevertheless, head coach Martin St. Louis probably likes the idea of two dangerous lines more than one super line and one being visibly carried by a 20-year-old Demidov. That would probably amount to shooting the team in the foot long term, putting Demidov in a position where he’s forced to shoulder an incredible weight, when having him share it instead with Slafkovsky is not only an option but an option that has worked out quite well.
3. On First Line Replacing Dach
Despite many false starts at the position that have resulted in injury and ultimately failure, there possibly still is a future for Kirby Dach at centre on the Canadiens. On paper, it looks like he would complement Demidov’s game, maybe even more so than Kapanen has. If so, Kapanen would logically drop down the lineup for Dach to slip into the role he was first acquired to play by general manager Kent Hughes at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
That would obviously open up a spot on the top line, where Newhook has played before in 2024-25.The issue is that was the season during which Newhook struggled significantly, which doesn’t really instill confidence in a reunion with Suzuki and Caufield working out or even being explored as a realistic option by the coaching staff.
2. On Fourth Line Replacing Gallagher
It’s hard to see in Brendan Gallagher the same player who enjoyed something of a renaissance last season, when he scored over 20 goals for the first time since before the pandemic, a span of five seasons. So far he has just six goals and 19 points through 57 games, as he shows his soon-to-be 34 years of age.
Gallagher has nothing to be ashamed of based on how faithfully he’s worn his Canadiens jersey since 2012. At least he shouldn’t, but you wouldn’t know it based on a lot of the hate directed his way. Sure, he has a less-than-ideal contract, complete with a no-movement clause (NMC) that could end up handcuffing the team until it runs out in 2027, but all he’s really guilty of is taking money being offered to him. Anyone would do the same.
Related: Canadiens’ 5 Worst Contracts for 2025-26 Season
An NMC may not prevent Gallagher from being a healthy scratch in principle. However, in practice, it’s hard to envision St. Louis taking him out of the lineup when the line he’s (re)formed with Phillip Danault (and Josh Anderson) has pretty much done all he’s asked of it. Even if Newhook could add extra offensive pop (and even more speed alongside Anderson) to it, as a fourth line, as things stand right now, it’s probably staying as is.
1. On Third Line Replacing Veleno
Admittedly, there’s a case to be made that Jake Evans’ line, which consists of the centre and wingers Joe Veleno and Zachary Bolduc, is actually the fourth. However, whichever way you personally rank them, they could each benefit from an influx of speed and offensive talent, which Newhook possesses. Veleno simply hasn’t proven he does, at least not with the Canadiens.
The 26-year-old, former first-round pick simply hasn’t delivered on his promise over now-six seasons in the NHL. There had been flashes during his stint with the Detroit Red Wings, but the two goals and four points he’s scored with the Canadiens, albeit after admirably jumping into an injury-ravaged lineup as the team’s 13th forward out of training camp, just aren’t enough to justify dressing him as players continue to return from injury.
Were Veleno given a cushier assignment, like current-linemate Bolduc had been, with Suzuki and Caufield over an extended stretch, it’s possible he would have made the most of it, maybe similar to the technically injured Alexandre Texier had in the same spot (now with 17 total points in 30 games with the Canadiens). However, Texier’s success there and how he was able to represent his native France at the Olympics puts Veleno’s regular spot in the lineup at further risk once the break ends.
So, one way or another, Veleno is likely going to be scratched in the near future. It makes the most sense to play Newhook in his place, in a bottom-six capacity. While no one should expect Newhook to put up points at the same pace he did to start the season, his impending return certainly bodes well for the team’s chances down the stretch. He may not have the benefit of playing with Demidov any longer, but fans should look at it as Bolduc, on whom fans should still be high despite his struggles, getting the benefit of playing with someone with more of an offensive ceiling (than either Evans or Veleno).
Now having impressed in two of his three seasons with the Canadiens, Newhook has proven he has that at least… and, if this theoretical line really does represent the floor of the team’s lineup, his return is absolutely something to which Habs fans should look forward, even if it’s at the expense of someone like Veleno. Given the opportunity, you make that replacement 100 times out of 100. No disrespect to Veleno, just more respect to Newhook.
