The Montreal Canadiens are in rebuild mode and have been making the right moves to try and become competitive within the next couple of seasons. With Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle, and Lane Hutson part of their bright future, the Habs are trending in the right direction and could become a much more entertaining team to watch by as early as this season. With the recent Patrik Laine acquisition from the Columbus Blue Jackets, it has become clear that their main goal is to try and break into the postseason. With all these good things going on, there is another player on their depth chart who has flown under the radar as one of the most important pieces to their blue line, and it’s Arber Xhekaj.
Xhekaj broke into the league in one of the most unique ways fans have ever seen. There were trending stories about him going undrafted into the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and working at Costco during the summer to continue pursuing his hockey dream. As a fan favourite with the Canadiens, after he chose to sign with them, Xhekaj immediately made himself known as a physical defender who wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves if needed. On top of his impressive fighting skills, Xhekaj slowly proved he was more than just a tough guy, as he was able to maintain a solid two-way game while he attempted to keep his job in the NHL.
In a recent episode of the Spittin Chiclets podcast, Xhekaj was a guest on the show and discussed everything from his odd path to the NHL as well as some stories during an All-Star Game where he dropped the gloves and had to speak to scouts right after. One comment that caught my attention was Xhekaj mentioning he had an offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs before ultimately choosing to sign with the Habs. The Canadiens were his favourite team, so he waited a few days after the Maple Leafs’ offer and then received a contract offer from the Habs, so waiting was the right decision. Xhekaj did mention he also considered the Florida Panthers and despite pressure to sign from those around him, he waited for the Canadiens to call.
Xhekaj’s Career May Have Played Out Much Differently With Maple Leafs
Xhekaj’s development has been handled well by the Canadiens as is shown by his ability to perform well at the NHL level. If he had chosen to sign with the Maple Leafs, his career may have ended up a little differently. The Canadiens are a rebuilding team, so he had a better opportunity to play in the NHL. With the Maple Leafs, it would have been a bit tougher. Since they have been in contention for the past several seasons and are consistently in the hunt at the top of their division, Xhekaj might have been in the American Hockey League (AHL) for a bit longer.
With the Canadiens now, Xhekaj has proven himself to be a huge part of their present and future. His ability to maintain his physical play while not letting up defensively is an impressive combination of skills that Habs fans love to see on a nightly basis. Watching him grow and hearing how driven he is as a player to improve every day he’s on the ice, he is someone who has worked from the bottom and made his way to the top, and he isn’t going to give his spot up that easy. While the Habs likely won’t make the playoffs this season, the lineup they have built could make them one of the toughest teams to play against on a nightly basis when it comes to physicality.
