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In mid-November, the Canadiens announced that Alex Newhook would be out for four months after undergoing surgery to repair a broken ankle.
It has now been three months, which means that, theoretically, there is one month left before the Canadiens forward returns to action for his team.
Reminder: aside from Patrik Laine, who is a special case, he is the Canadiens' only major injury at the moment. The other players are theoretically healthy at this time.
We know that Newhook has started skating again in the last few days, but that doesn't mean he's close to returning to action in the short term.
In fact, my colleague Marc-Olivier Cook, who saw him skating this morning in Brossard, believes that he is not necessarily close to returning to action in the short term.
Newhook worked alone this morning. He grimaced a lot while skating and took a long time to move from one exercise to the next. He still seems a long way from returning to play, even though he is able to pick up speed in his movements. @DLCoulisses pic.twitter.com/zoctOJSboj
— Marc-Olivier Cook (@Cook_Marco) February 16, 2026
Are we saying that Newhook won't be back until mid-March, which is the scheduled date? That's not what we're saying, no. It's still too early to tell.
But it's clear that a guy who takes a long time to recover between each small exercise isn't a week away from playing. Watch the videos: he's doing the exercises of a guy who is still injured and is mainly at the stage of testing his body.
For more context: a guy who starts his training with simple rehabilitation exercises like this one says a lot. pic.twitter.com/J9YjmJAyIZ
— Marc-Olivier Cook (@Cook_Marco) February 16, 2026
If the player returned after March 6, which is just under three weeks away, it wouldn't be a huge surprise either.
Reminder: there are three games left before the trade deadline, when the 23-man roster limit will no longer exist in NHL clubs.
In the meantime, seeing him test his ankle is a good thing. Seeing him skate is excellent. But don't expect to see him play in the first game after the Olympic break: he really doesn't look ready.
Also, Lane Hutson is back in town.
In brief
– Keep an eye on this.
Otherwise, things could get more complicated for Toronto. https://t.co/bM0NcimGCP
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) February 16, 2026
— A defenseman in Pittsburgh?
Josh Yohe: Re Penguins: League and team sources have told me there is a growing feeling that Kyle Dubas will attempt to land a defenseman before the March 6 NHL trade deadline — The Athletic (2/10)
— NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) February 16, 2026
Olympics: Do the Americans stand a chance against Canada? [BPM Sports]
– Wow.
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