Arber Xhekaj warns Jacob Trouba after hit on Justin Barron
Regardless of how you view the hit, Arber Xhekaj's job is to defend his teammates, so his comments aren't all that surprising.
Despite the New York Rangers being a big, bruising team, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis decided to healthy scratch Arber Xhekaj.
This seems to have worked like a double-edged sword; first, Xhekaj was displeased sitting in the press box. Furthermore, he wasn't able to come to the aid of his teammate and fellow defenseman Justin Barron. As for St. Louis's decision, it wouldn't have prevented Barron from being hurt, but Xhekaj would have challenged Trouba right away.
Xhekaj didn't mince his words during the media availability after the Habs blowout 7-2 loss to the Rangers. This comes as no surprise as Xhekaj is the kind of player who always comes to his team's aid. But you could sense how frustrated he was by the fact that he wasn't able to step in and defend Barron.
#Habs Arber Xhekaj on #NYR Trouba's hit on Justin Barron: "to throw a hit like that, I didn't like to see it and know I probably would have done something if I was in the line-up or addressed it for sure but we'll definitely remember it and see what happens next game."
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) October 23, 2024
Amid trade rumours and many rumblings about Xhekaj potentially getting moved, I think that it's glaringly obvious that Xhekaj wants to be a Canadiens, but he also wants to share some pleasantries with Trouba. I have hopes that Xhekaj doesn't get moved; I think if Kent Hughes were to trade him, he would end up doing all he can to acquire a player like Xhekaj. This season hasn't gone the way that the team nor Xhekaj would like, but the potential is still very much there for him to be an impact player for the next 10-12 years.
If not Xhekaj, then who?
If Montreal did decide to move Xhekaj, I think they will soon find out just how valuable he is to the team. It sounds redundant to say it, but there isn't another player in the organization, aside from Florian who does what Arber does. When he isn't in the lineup, the opposition is much more testy and willing to chirp and throw questionable hits.
His reputation alone prevents teams from trying to run around, and when he is on his game, he makes things happen. Yes, he is a physically bruising player, but he has some underrated skills and I think that moving him, will come back to bite the Habs. Xhekaj hasn't reached his ceiling yet, and I think the Canadiens could use Xhekaj at his best when the team is ready to start making some noise during the postseason.
Montreal is built smaller and more skilled, even the bigger players are not super physical. So, the prospect of losing Xhekaj, is a scary one, because there are some very physical teams and the playoffs are a different animal. Michael Pezzetta will only do so much, and I want to see both Xhekaj's in the lineup.
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