The Montreal Canadiens surprised many at the 2023 NHL Draft when they selected Florian Xhekaj.
It was not so much that they decided to take the younger brother of Canadiens hard nosed defenseman Arber Xhekaj, but that they chose to take him in the fourth round when many people thought he would be available in later rounds.
But, when you want a player in the NHL Draft you can’t sit around and just hope other teams keep not picking him. So, the Habs decided to take him in the fourth round with the 101st overall selection.
He had already been passed over in the 2022 NHL Draft, and scored 13 goals and 25 points in 68 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2022-23, so he was not ranked highly by many heading into the annual selection process.
He does possess a big frame, and plays a very physical style, which surprises absolutely no one who has seen his brother play with the Canadiens. He had 76 penalty minutes in 68 games last season, so he is certainly not a goon or a big fighter, but he does not back down from physical confrontations either.
Xhekaj got off to a strong start offensively this season. He scored twice and added a pair of assists in his first three games. His third game also ended quite early as he was ejected for a slew foot on an Oshawa Generals opponent.
Xhekaj was suspended by the OHL for a pair of games for the infraction, a fate reminiscent of his older brother who was suspended twice in his final season of OHL action.
Xhekaj will be eligible to return on Saturday night when his Bulldogs face fellow Canadiens prospect Owen Beck and the Peterborough Petes. He will look to continue his hot start that has him averaging over a point per game early in the season.
If the Canadiens prospect can continue scoring at a high clip, he is going to make Canadiens management look very smart for using a fourth round pick on him.
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