No no-trade clause for Alex Newhook: perfect for the expansion

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
No no-trade clause for Alex Newhook: perfect for the expansion
Credit: Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images

I guess the Canadiens' offseason has finally begun. Hehe.

Several months after signing Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes, the Canadiens have recently signed Zachary Bolduc, Chris Kreider, Martin St-Louis, Arber Xhekaj, and Alex Newhook in the last few days.

Yeah, things have been pretty busy the last few days.

Xhekaj's contract helps the team get better aligned for this season, and Newhook's contract provides clarity for next year. And in both cases, that can be helpful.

Especially for Kirill Marchenko…

Currently, according to the PuckPedia website, the Canadiens have $2.78 million in cap space. This includes dead money (deferred payments, Brendan Gallagher's salary hold, etc.) and 23 players—including three goaltenders.

To potentially make a move, the Canadiens will likely need to free up some salary cap space, depending on which player they want to acquire… and how the Samuel Montembeault situation is handled.

The fact that Alex Newhook is under contract through 2031 gives Kent Hughes greater clarity in planning the organization's future.

For example? Kiri—okay, we get it, the Habs wanted him.

But it will also allow Kent Hughes to prepare for the NHL expansion that's coming up fast. Why? Because Newhook doesn't have a no-trade clause.

He could therefore be placed on the trade block if the Canadiens decide to do so in 2029, the projected date for the addition of at least one new franchise to the National Hockey League.

If we set aside the expansion, Newhook has some built-in trade protection. As Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports, if the player doesn't perform, teams won't want his contract. And if he does well, the Habs will want to keep him.

Ultimately, it's a great contract from the Canadiens.


In Brief

– Worth reading.

– One more year in Carolina for Eric Staal.

– What a contract.

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