Xhekaj Value To Canadiens Amid Contract Negotiations
Much has been made about the fact that the Montreal Canadiens are yet to re-sign defenceman Arber Xhekaj.
The 25-year-old blueliner quickly became a fan favourite in Montreal, using his truculent style to entertain fans while delivering heavy hits to any opponent that dares enter the defensive zone.
He’s been the centre of many conversations regarding his value to the team, with two camps emerging from the fray. Some suggest his value is overblown, due to his rough-and-tumble style. Others believe he’s an invaluable player who should be part of the organization in the forseeable future.
As per usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and it requires a certain level of nuance to understand the complete picture.
Physicality
Despite the narrative that the Canadiens are not a particular physical team, they finished the 2025-26 season with 1,810 hits, seventh among all NHL teams.
While this may be seen as a positive by fans who have bemoaned Montreal’s lack of physicality in recent decades, there’s something to be said about the teams that surround the Canadiens in the top 10 hit list. Six of the top 10 teams failed to make the playoffs, while the three other organizations were unceremoniously eliminated from the first round of the NHL playoffs, without much effort from their opponents.
In fact, the Canadiens are the only top-10 hit team that managed to enjoy any semblance of success in the past season, making them an outlier in the grand scheme of things.
That being said, there’s still value to being physical, as displayed by the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs. They weren’t necessarily dropping opponents with heavy hits, but they hounded their adversaries to the point that they dominated the war of attrition, a logical path to success in a seven-game series.
Truth be told, you need physicality, hard work, and a roster brimming with talent to reach the summit of the NHL.
Which brings us back to the topic at hand.
Are the Canadiens able to move a player like Xhekaj, and still maintain a physical edge in most matchups?
Despite only playing in 65 games, Xhekaj led the Canadiens in hits at 5v5, with 176. If we even the playing field by examining hits per 60 minutes of ice time, Xhekaj’s contributions in the hit game become quite clear.
He was far and away the most active defenceman in the hit department, eclipsing his counterparts by a wide margin.
By removing Xhekaj, the Canadiens would then become a below-average team in hits, though I’d argue that’s not necessarily a negative, given how Stanley Cup champions tend to focus on skill before body checks.
Of course, adding a player of a physical nature would make up for that dearth of physicality, but there’s no denying Xhekaj plays a crucial role in helping the Canadiens overcome some of their lack of size among the forwards.
Arber Xhekaj 5v5 Play
It’s somewhat difficult to get a good read on Xhekaj’s play at 5v5, because he has yet to be gifted the advantage of consistency in his usage.
NHL players thrive on preparation, and knowing that you’ll be used in a regular role goes a long way in establishing the type of confidence necessary to survive in the NHL.
In that vein, it’s logical that Xhekaj’s underlying numbers suffered a decline in 2025-26. His 5v5 ice time was just 11:00 per night, easily the lowest average ice time among all regularly used defencemen. Even the rookie defencemen, Engstrom and Reinbacher, received more ice time during their auditions. This was the second consecutive season in which Xhekaj’s ice time dropped.
Given Xhekaj’s relatively limited scope of responsibilities, his low ice time is not surprising. But it does go to show that he’s had very little consistency compared to every other player in the team, including those who recently joined the fold.
However, his underlying numbers reveal a very interesting situation. Despite the narrative suggesting Xhekaj is far from a defensive stalwart, his stats suggest that he makes a significant positive impact in the defensive zone, while also being a drag on the team’s overall offensive numbers.
As a reminder, when evaluating relative numbers, it’s advantageous for a defenceman to be on the ice for fewer shots against, and more shots for. A negative in the shots against category number means the player question allows fewer shots when he’s on the ice, relative to his opponents. Another way of interpreting the chart is to simply look at Lane Hutson’s elite results, and comparing them to the rest of the lineup.
In the grand scheme of things, Xhekaj’s expected shot control relative to his teammates was far from a problem. Usage plays a part, as defencemen such as Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, and Alexandre Carrier are tasked with facing some of the best opponents on the ice.
And yet, the fact remains that Xhekaj’s shot control was close to neutral, relatively speaking.
Arber Xhekaj Brass Tacks
This is the nth time I’ve written an in-depth piece discussing Arber Xhekaj’s value to the Canadiens, a testament to his polarizing presence within the lineup, though I’d argue the polarizing aspect has been driven mostly by media and fans, rather than Xhekaj himself.
There are some legitimate issues in his game, such as his lack of discipline, and his defensive positioning. He’s prone to giveaways in high-pressure situations, especially if he has been used sparingly in the weeks leading up to the game.
However, once we consider that he has been given the least consistency among all defencemen, you can make a strong argument that he’s done quite well in the NHL, despite his usage.
In a third pairing role, Xhekaj excels when used alongside Jayden Struble, but struggles when paired with Mike Matheson or Alexandre Carrier. He also played well in his limited shifts alongside Lane Hutson, showing that he can provide some value when paired with a very talented blueliner.
Unfortunately, a crowded blue line has limited his opportunities, as the players ahead of him on the depth chart possess a higher skill level.
But few have better underlying numbers, and none provide the same level of physicality.
If the Canadiens do decide to move on from Xhekaj, a real possibility fuelled by the trade rumours that consistently swirl around him, they’re likely to receive a premium on the NHL’s trade market. Several teams have already expressed interest in his services.
We’ve waxed poetic about his value to the Canadiens, but if the Habs can receive a premium in exchange for their least used defenceman, general manager Kent Hughes will be tempted to pull the trigger on a trade, and rightly so.
But for the very same reasons other NHL clubs are interested in acquiring Xhekaj, the Canadiens aim to keep him in the fold, especially since he’s unlikely to command a significant raise upon his previous contract, which carried a paltry $1.3 million annual average value.
A little consistency from the Canadiens, both in contract negotiations and usage, would go a long way in ensuring Arber Xhekaj will be placed in situation that’s conducive to producing solid numbers.
All Montreal Canadiens and Arber Xhekaj statistics are 5v5, unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
