Habs Mailbag: Arber Xhekaj’s future might be brighter with a new team
Martin St. Louis obviously doesn’t trust Arber Xhekaj after four years of coaching him and is cutting back on the already limited minutes he does get to play. My question is, do you think the best thing for Xhekaj’s NHL career is A) asking for a trade or B) signing an offer sheet if he receives one?
Deke Rivers on X — @OLearyO
That’s a good question.
This is the last season of Xhekaj’s two-year, US$2.6-million contract and the 25-year-old can become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Xhekaj is only averaging 11:20 of ice time this season, the least of any of the eight defencemen the Canadiens have used. In 50 games, the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder has 1-1-2 totals and is minus-7 while leading the team with 135 hits. Jayden Struble, who has been battling Xhekaj for the sixth spot on the blue line, is averaging 14:04 of ice time and has 0-8-8 totals in 39 games to go along with a minus-2. Struble, 24, has one more season remaining on his two-year, US$2.83-million contract.
The competition for a spot on the Canadiens’ blue line is only going to get tougher moving forward for Xhekaj with David Reinbacher, 21, and Adam Engstrom, 22, playing for the AHL’s Laval Rocket and looking to make the jump to the NHL.
At this point in his career, a trade to another team willing to give him more ice time would be the best thing for Xhekaj’s career.
I can’t see the Canadiens trading him to a team within their division, but Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer is a big fan of Xhekaj from their time together with the Hamilton Bulldogs — a team Andlauer owned when they won the OHL championship in 2022. Andlauer, who used to be a minority owner of the Canadiens, played a role in Xhekaj getting invited to a Canadiens development camp after not being selected at the NHL Draft.
It would be interesting to see if the Senators — or another NHL team — would be willing to give Xhekaj an offer sheet since he brings a unique mix in today’s NHL of size and toughness, along with the ability to play the game when given a chance.
After seeing Jayden Struble play more than 10 minutes against the Winnipeg Jets in the last game before the Olympic break isn’t it obvious the Canadiens coaches don’t trust Arber Xhekaj, who played less than six minutes the previous game against the Minnesota Wild?
My suggestion, let Xhekaj play left wing. The Habs need to get bigger up front. Also, if Xhekaj fights as a defenceman he could possibly incur 17 minutes in the penalty box (two for instigating, five for fighting and a misconduct), which would leave his team with only five defencemen. As a winger, his absence is easily overcome.
If you can’t trust him, then trade him! I really like Xhekaj, but he needs to play.
Don Marcellus
Moving Xhekaj — or any defenceman — to forward is much easier said than done, especially at the NHL level. Xhekaj started his junior career as a fourth-line forward with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, but struggled at that position and was converted to a defenceman.
That doesn’t mean it would be impossible for Xhekaj to become a forward in the NHL.
Dustin Byfuglien, who was 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, was in a similar situation to Xhekaj early in his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, who decided to convert him from defence to forward at age 25. In 22 playoff games as a winger with Chicago in 2010 on the No. 1 line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, Byfuglien had 11-5-16 totals while providing a physical presence and helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup.
