Despite some concerns that the Montreal Canadiens were going to lose a couple of more pieces from the roster that led them to an Eastern Conference Final last season, it looks like Kent Hughes is going to get two big pieces of business done before training camp.
After the news that Zachary Bolduc signed a four-year contract extension on Sunday, Pierre LeBrun is now reporting that Arber Xhekaj's deal is nearing the finish line and he will be ready to report to camp.
Talks are progressing and things are getting closer on a new deal between the Canadiens and RFA D Arber Xhekaj. Not done yet, but the expectation is that he'll be at camp and signed.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 14, 2026
It was unclear whether the Canadiens were going to reach a deal with the enforcer defenseman before training camp, as the two sides seemed at an impasse over what his value truly was. Xhekaj is a key piece of the team's locker room, and likely all of his fellow Habs would want him back this season, but it was important for Hughes not to overpay for someone who may think his value is higher than what it actually is.
Teams would be lining up to sign someone like Xhekaj 20 years ago. He doesn't have a ton of offensive instincts, and he would stickhandle the puck into a square if he held on to it for too long, but he'd be the first person in the fight to stick up for his teammates and he seems to be a vocal leader. The problem is that his playstyle is a dying breed in the NHL, and the best enforcers now are contributing much more than Xhekaj in the offensive department.
Arber Xhekaj's declining value in the NHL
Xhekaj has two goals and 10 points over the last two seasons in 135 games. With the game evolving into a high-scoring affair on most nights and the playoffs even going in that direction when most thought it wouldn't, the need to have someone like Xhekaj in the lineup is getting less and less. Martin St. Louis made that clear by scratching him in six of the team's 19 playoff games, when players like Xhekaj were once mainstays in a playoff lineup as the sixth defenseman.
The enforcer's defensive metrics are subpar, and he clearly struggles to keep up with the game's speed. He is sometimes unusable against teams that push the pace, and more and more teams play that style every season.
If Hughes had to dig deeper into the wallet than he'd liked, the hope is that he didn't go too long on term. Unfortunately for someone who misses the days of it being an all-out war every night, a player like Xhekaj could have a rapidly approaching shelf life, and a longer-term contract could get even worse as the years go by.
The good news is that a key piece of the team's chemistry is returning to the locker room, and with the progress the team has made through the rebuild, the effect that could have on the Canadiens can't be overstated. The only issue is whether it was overvalued.
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