The Toronto Maple Leafs’ search for a towering, physical defenceman could have been solved a couple of years ago if the team succeeded in their attempts to sign then-free agent Arber Xhekaj.
That is a notion that may raise some eyebrows across Leafs Nation, but it’s one that appears to have been a serious possibility according to Xhekaj, who signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens in July.
Xhekaj joined the Spittin’ Chiclets Podcast, where he discussed the start of his professional career, ultimately signing with the Canadiens after he said he initially weighed offers from the Leafs and the Florida Panthers, as an undrafted free agent in 2021. COVID-19 cancelled his entire 2020-21 season as a member of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
“After the draft, I didn’t picked again, Toronto called me, Florida called, and then that was it,” Xhekaj said. “So me and my agent were talking and we were checking the prospect pool, we were like, ‘Okay, let’s go to Florida, let’s go to Florida,'” Xhekaj said.
“And then, after that, I was like, ‘Wait, just give it a second, like, wait a few days.’ And [my agent] was like, ‘No, we can’t keep the NHL teams waiting.’ And I was like, ‘Just give it a second, something’s coming,’ because I knew Montreal was super interested. And that’s my favourite team, that’s where I wanted to go.”
Growing up a Canadiens fan, Xhekaj believed the team were lurking but had not yet made an approach, so he held on in hopes that he could live a childhood dream, which happened when they signed him to an entry-level deal in October 2021.
He would go on to have a strong year back in the OHL, as he was traded by the Rangers to the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he helped the team claim a J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions, and was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team despite falling to the Saint John Sea Dogs 6-3 in the final.
Since the 2022-23 season, he has been a regular for the Canadiens and has established himself as one of the most physical players in the NHL. In his rookie season, Xhekaj played 51 games and used his 6-foot-4, 238-lbs frame effectively, throwing 159 hits and blocking 46 shots while also making some contributions offensively with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) and he’s been a regular with the Canadiens, entering his third NHL season.
