Out of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge: New Era in Canadiens Leadership

By JD Lagrange – Out of the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge: The week’s hot topics, served without sugar-coating or concern for bruised feelings. This week, we look at the potential candidates to become alternate-captains, and other hot topics around the Canadiens.

Brendan Gallagher‘s departure to the Vancouver Canucks did more than remove one of the Montreal Canadiens’ most beloved players. It created a leadership vacancy that could quietly become one of Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis‘ most interesting decisions of the summer.

For a decade, Gallagher wore an “A” on his sweater. Since the 2015-16 season, he served as one of the team’s alternate captains, becoming the emotional heartbeat of the Canadiens through playoff runs, rebuilds, injuries, losing seasons, and everything in between. Whether he was scoring goals or dragging teammates into the fight by sheer determination, his leadership was never in question.

Now only Mike Matheson remains with an “A” stitched to his jersey.

The obvious solution would be to hand Gallagher’s letter to another veteran. But is that really the direction this organization wants to take?

Jake Evans suddenly finds himself in unfamiliar territory. At 30 years old, he is now the longest-serving Canadien on the roster, entering his eighth NHL season in Montreal. It almost feels strange to write that considering he has spent much of his career quietly doing the little things that coaches love and fans often overlook.

There’s another factor working in his favour. Evans wasn’t just Gallagher’s teammate. He was one of his closest friends. The two shared similar values, similar work ethics, and earned respect through effort rather than headlines. With three years remaining on his contract, Evans also offers stability at a time when several veterans face uncertain futures.

Josh Anderson deserves mention as well. He’s worn an alternate captain’s “A” on occasion and has long been respected inside the dressing room for his professionalism and willingness to stand up for teammates. But he’s entering the final year of his contract, making his long-term future anything but certain.

The same could be said for Phillip Danault. Back for a second stint with the Canadiens, Danault also enters what is effectively his eighth season wearing the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge. At 33, he remains one of the club’s most experienced voices. Yet like Anderson, his contract expires at season’s end, leaving management with decisions that could change the leadership landscape again in less than a year.

If the Canadiens are thinking beyond this season, Evans appears to hold the inside track among the veterans.

Then again, this isn’t the same Canadiens organization that once insisted captains needed grey hair and several thousand NHL games. Let’s not forget that Nick Suzuki became the youngest captain in franchise history. At the time, many questioned whether he was ready. Today, very few would argue the Canadiens got that decision wrong. Perhaps history repeats itself.

Montreal has assembled one of the youngest cores in the National Hockey League, but it’s also one that’s remarkably stable. Several cornerstone players have already committed long term to both the organization and the city through team-friendly contracts. Leadership today isn’t measured by age nearly as much as influence.

Cole Caufield immediately jumps into that conversation. Having learned alongside Shea Weber, Joel Edmundson, Corey Perry, Eric Staal and Gallagher himself, Caufield has quietly matured from an exciting goal scorer into one of the team’s emotional leaders. His personality is infectious, his work ethic unquestioned, and his voice carries far more weight today than it did only a couple of seasons ago.

Kaiden Guhle is another fascinating possibility. Calm beyond his years, respected by teammates, and already handling enormous responsibilities on the ice, he certainly looks like future leadership material. The only hesitation? Matheson already wears an “A” on the blue line. Some organizations prefer spreading leadership between forwards and defensemen.

Lane Hutson presents a similar dilemma. His preparation, humility, and relentless work habits have made him an instant favourite both inside the organization and among fans. He’s only 22, but leadership often announces itself before birthdays do.

Then there’s Juraj Slafkovsky. At just 22 years old, giving him an alternate captaincy might seem premature. Then again, so did naming Suzuki captain a few years ago. Slafkovsky has embraced the spotlight, accepted accountability, and appears increasingly comfortable carrying expectations.

Alex Newhook perhaps sits somewhere in the middle. At 25, his game continues to evolve, but has he established himself enough to assume a formal leadership role? That’s a tougher sell.

In the end, this decision says as much about where the Canadiens believe they’re headed as it does about who wears a letter. Do they reward experience and continuity with Jake Evans? Or do they send another powerful message that this franchise truly belongs to its next generation?

Either way, Gallagher leaves behind much more than an empty locker. He leaves behind big skates to fill.

RAPID FIRE

📌 Trevor Letowski‘s decision to step away from the Canadiens’ coaching staff to spend more time with his family came as somewhat of a surprise, although he’ll remain with the organization in another capacity. Montreal wasted little time filling the vacancy, hiring Derek Lalonde, whose coaching résumé includes several years as Jon Cooper’s assistant in Tampa Bay, a stint as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, and most recently, an assistant role with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

📌 For years, many believed Martin St-Louis needed an experienced NHL coach at his side to help compensate for his lack of coaching experience. That argument certainly held water when St. Louis was first hired. Four seasons later, it no longer does. St. Louis has developed into an accomplished NHL coach with his own systems, identity and confidence behind the bench. Lalonde wasn’t brought in to guide Martin St-Louis. He was simply hired to replace Trevor Letowski. Nothing more.

📌 The Canadiens also surprised many by signing Russian defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov to a three-year entry-level contract. The 23-year-old will remain on loan with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL this season before becoming eligible to join the Canadiens once his KHL campaign concludes.

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📌 A fourth-round pick in 2023, Konyushkov isn’t projected to become a major difference-maker on Montreal’s blue line. Most believe his ceiling is that of a dependable third-pairing defenseman who could eventually replace someone like Alexandre Carrier. Still, his signing continues what has become a very Russian-themed summer for Kent Hughes.

📌 It began when the Canadiens traded up in the first round to select power forward Gleb Pugachyov. They followed that by signing Ivan Demidov to an eight-year contract extension at yet, another very affordable cap hit. Now Konyushkov joins the fold, while reports persist that Montreal remains interested in acquiring Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Clearly, the Canadiens have become much more comfortable investing in Russian talent than previous administrations ever were.

📌 As encouraging as the organization’s prospect pipeline has become, the NHL roster itself has seen very little improvement this summer. That has understandably left many Canadiens fans wondering exactly what the plan is to take this team to the next level.

Yes, there is still time before training camp opens, and several intriguing names remain available through trades or free agency. But the Canadiens still have obvious needs, including a legitimate second-line centre, another proven top-six scoring winger, and a physical top-four right-shot defenseman. Patience is part of every rebuild, but eventually progress has to show itself on the NHL roster. By the time training camp opens, the excuses will have run out.