For the past two games, Martin St. Louis and the Montreal Canadiens have made Arber Xhekaj a healthy scratch. It isn't that surprising on a typical week, but with Kaiden Guhle out of the lineup and young players pushing him out of the way, people question his spot in the organization. Xhekaj was a player that could be cast away eventually once all the prospects blossomed into full-time players, but it's a bit surprising that it happened this early.
Georges Laraque is beginning to see the writing on the wall for Xhekaj and believes he may not be a favorite amongst the coaching staff.
“In Montreal, with the surplus of defencemen we have here, it doesn’t work. Martin St. Louis doesn’t like him,” Laraque said in French. “And that’s fine. He’s not the first coach to have players that he likes less than others. “The Montreal Canadiens will eventually trade Arber Xhekaj. Yes, I love Xhekaj, but if we don’t let him play every game, what’s the point in keeping him?”
It may be just mindless speculation, but some of Laraque's points make plenty of sense. Nevertheless, let's look at three teams who could use Xhekaj's services.