It was recently reported by Hamilton Bulldogs Head Coach that Florian Xhekaj showed up to training camp looking much bigger and stronger. And not only that, he has grown since the Canadiens drafted him at this summer’s draft. He reportedly grew from 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-4, and when McKee was asked to provide who he thought Florian’s best NHL style comparison is, he stated that he didn’t want to give a comparison that would limit his potential.
Lorsque Florian Xhekaj est arrivé au camp d'entraînement des Bulldogs, il mesurait maintenant près de 6 pieds 4 pouces, au grand étonnement de son entraîneur-chef.
— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) August 31, 2023
«Il ressemble à un autre joueur sur la glace en ce moment.» https://t.co/f2RSTHQKAZ
“He’s gained considerably in mass and physical strength. You’re going to see a much better offensive performance from him this season,” said Jay McKee head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs. “I’d love to give you a comparison to an NHL player, but I’ve seen so much growth in him that I refrain from putting limits on his potential.”
His selection had many scratching their heads, feeling as though he was drafted ahead of where he should have been. But the Canadiens’ recent release of their 2023 draft plan for fans to view shed some light on the selection. Xhekaj was referred to as a “unicorn” by Nick Bobrov, and another was adamant that if available in the fourth round, it would basically be a steal of a selection.
There is no guarantee here, as is the case with any player selected beyond the first round. After that, you are counting on both the player and those who will be closely involved with his development to be active in providing him with whatever he needs to thrive. The OHL season hasn’t even begun yet but given the comments, paired with physical growth in Xhekaj, it seems he will have a huge year in 2023-24.
It’s been an area that the Canadiens have addressed in recent years, but before that, the team was always on the smaller side, and in the playoffs, they were pushed around. With Josh Anderson, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach in the Habs’ top nine, they have some good size up front. Xhekaj could add to that, and while Anderson plays physically, Xhekaj thrives on the physical game, and he is a willing combatant just like his older brother.
With such praise given to him by his head coach, I would imagine that Xhekaj wants to have a huge year and prove him right. A big year in the OHL will be tremendous for his growth, and given his age (19 years old), if he could have his coming out party this season, he could strike gold at the right time. He has the motor and the physical presence and he is a solid skater, whose skating has improved according to McKee, and he sees more confidence with the puck in the offensive zone from Xhekaj.
The jury is still out on Xhekaj, but this news comes as no shock to the Canadiens scouting staff who had an inside track on Xhekaj, that no other team did. It was believed that he was picked as a courtesy to his older brother Arber, and the Habs have no problem with that. The philosophy is to get the guy that will be the best in the future, and a year of growth will tell whether they struck while the iron was hot or not.
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