The best prospects are often qualified by incredible production at a very young age.
In the case of the Montreal Canadiens, they have several fine young players in the organization, but there’s one who could cause a surprise next year.
Arber Xhekaj’s little brother, Florian, had a historic season in the AHL at just 20 years of age.
In the Laval Rocket’s final game of the season, Xhekaj scored two goals, bringing his total to 24.
What’s even more impressive is that he scored the majority of his goals on a 3rd or 4th line, while racking up a grand total of 175 penalty minutes.
Incredible.
Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports recently wrote an article on this very surprising season for the Unicorn, as Nick Bobrov so aptly called him.
In this article, we understand that Xhekaj’s achievements are a first in the AHL since the 1995-96 season.
No, but 175 penalty minutes, plus 24 goals in a mostly physical and defensive role in his rookie pro season, you’ve got to do it.
And that’s why Xhekaj could surprise many at next season’s training camp.
Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him carve out a position on the fourth line.
According to the same Cloutier article, only five players in the history of the American Hockey League have ever had a season like that.
The last to do so was David Ling, who didn’t exactly have a great NHL career, but was an excellent player in the AHL.
On the other hand, Florian’s potential is arguably higher than Ling’s at the time.
Looking at Ling’s statistical record, I find it hard to believe that he wasn’t able to establish himself in the NHL as a bottom-6 player .
He played in 93 games, but there’s still hope that Xhekaj will have a longer career than Ling.
Florian may not have his big brother’s fists, but he certainly knows how to fight, and he’s still seven inches taller than Ling.
Xhekaj could also develop into a very good bottom-6 player over the years.
Keep in mind that Xhekaj will probably never be an NHL impact player, but he’ll certainly have his uses.
With the playoffs approaching in the AHL, #63 will be even more useful to his club, as he’ll be able to “stir the pot”.
The CH definitely has a gem in Florian Xhekaj, and the possibility of him playing with his brother next year is very exciting.
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