Many are wondering about Arber Xhekaj’s future in Montreal.
The defenseman played just one game in April at the end of the regular season, and missed the first two games of the series against the Washington Capitals.
In the final weeks of the Habs’ season, Xhekaj seemed less and less part of coach Martin St-Louis’ plan.
And if the Canadiens decide to part with him, what are the team’s options?
Denis Gauthier, in The Sick Podcast, believes the Sheriff has some value on the trade market.
Denis Gauthier says the #GoHabsGo could trade Arber Xhekaj...@DGauthierRDS: "He has a certain value around the league"#thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/umA9vdCjTn
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) May 23, 2025
Gauthier thinks that Xhekaj could be part of a package deal to get a second center instead of a defenseman like Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher.
I’m not so sure about that.
I think yes, Xhekaj could interest some teams looking for a tough defenseman, but if you pick him in a trade instead of Mailloux or Reinbacher, you’re in for a fast ride.
Above all, however, I don’t think the Canadiens should trade their tough defenseman.
As we saw during the series against the Capitals, toughness is something we’re lacking right now.
And to win in the series, you need players capable of playing heavy hockey, and if the Canadiens are definitely heading in the right direction, most of our best players aren’t tough.
Hence the importance of a player like Xhekaj.
And right now, we don’t have another player in the team ready to take on this role , and as my colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois explained, the best candidate to replace him is undoubtedly his little brother Florian.
Arber Xhekaj may not be the most talented player, but his presence in the line-up adds an inch and ten pounds to the rest of the team.
What’s more, I have the feeling that our sheriff would play much better hockey if he knew his position wasn’t constantly on the line. It’s not easy to play and develop to your full potential when you feel that every mistake can cost you your place in the line-up.
If Xhekaj can improve his decision-making and learn to make better use of his physicality in the defensive zone, he could play a role similar to the one David Savard played with the team.
In short, I really feel that if the Canadiens trade him, or worse, let him go for nothing, it’s a decision that will come back to haunt the organization.
