The Montreal Canadiens have provided an update as to Kaiden Guhle and Alex Newhook’s injury status, with both players expected to miss an extended stretch.
Forward Alex Newhook fractured his ankle on Thursday night, after he was hauled down and slammed into the boards feet-first. The injury necessitated a surgical intervention, and the recovery time frame is set at four months.
And now Newhook is in a lot of pain after slamming feet first into the boards. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lisS8C98ZA
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 14, 2025
As for defenceman Kaiden Guhle, he also underwent surgery, to fix a torn abductor muscle, and is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks.
Mises à jour médicales au sujet d’Alex Newhook et de Kaiden Guhle
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 14, 2025
Medical updates on Alex Newhook and Kaiden Guhle pic.twitter.com/ohzSNVbuuG
Montreal Canadiens Injuries
Injuries are never a positive development, and we wish both Guhle and Newhook the best of luck during their recovery.
With that being said, seeing as the Canadiens have struggled in November, losing players who tend to absorb a fair amount of ice time is yet another obstacle for Martin St-Louis’ team.
Newhook’s speed, in particular, had led to a surprising amount of goals from his line, which featured Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov on his wings.
However, the injury to Newhook will provide St-Louis with a situation that will force him to reconsider his forward lines, and that may end up being a positive development. Despite their goal-scoring prowess, the Newhook line was outshot and outchanced by a fairly wide margin on most nights, making them a defensive liability.
Consequently, St-Louis has hesitated to use them when the game is on the line, which has led to very limited ice time at 5v5 for Demidov.
With Newhook sidelined, the Canadiens recalled rough-and-tumble forward Jared Davidson from the AHL, a player who is likely to quickly become a fan favourite due to his old-school style of play.
He doesn’t possess Newhook’s speed, but he has one of the best one-timers in the organization, and he plays every shift as if it may be his last.
Kaiden Guhle Situation
Newhook was expected to miss a long stretch due to the violent nature of the incident that injured him, but the Guhle news comes as a surprise.
He was recently spotted skating in Brossard, which suggested a return to play was on the docket. It’s unclear whether Guhle aggravated his injury, but there’s no doubt his prolonged absence will have a significant impact on Montreal’s defensive setup.
Simply put, Guhle is Montreal’s garbage disposal, and I say that with the utmost respect.
Do you need a player to absorb a ridiculous amount of ice time? That’s a job for Guhle.
Is there an assignment that seems unreasonably difficult due to the quality of opponents? Toss it Guhle’s way!
Are you hellbent on giving a young defenceman some of the most difficult usage in the league? You know who to call.
Statistically speaking, Guhle never produces the type of underlying numbers that would be considered elite, but it’s worth keeping in mind that every player tasked with taking over his minutes tends to struggle, as was the case last season for Alexandre Carrier.
In that vein, the Canadiens cannot replace Guhle internally, connoting that they’ll have to continue to deal with his absence by committee.
