Arber Xhekaj has been an interesting name for the Montreal Canadiens drawing so much attention since he arrived.
He was viewed as a bone-crunching hitter who has no fear and he loves to chuck his knuckles. Certainly there was a hope that he could become more than just a physical guy, and fortunately for the Habs he became just that. He cracked the Habs roster and while he still needs to keep growing and improving, he has every intention to do so.
Nicolas Cloutier, a multimedia journalist for TVA Sports who covers the Canadiens wrote an interesting article about Xhekaj. The article discussed how Xhekaj has been working with the Canadiens director of player development Adam Nicholas, to keep growing and improving his game. A player doesn't reach the highest level without working hard every day and doing everything they can to improve, but the initiative is impressive.
Arber Xhekaj a fait quelque chose de nouveau cet été. Il a commencé à regarder beaucoup plus de vidéos qu'avant pour améliorer son jeu défensif.
— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) August 22, 2024
Le Shériff a passé beaucoup de temps avec le cerveau du développement chez le CH, Adam Nicholas. https://t.co/haxheEpUnn
So, Xhekaj studying other players isn't so foreign to believe, he wants to be the best and he hasn't stopped although he has had to battle through plenty of obstacles. Defending well is hard because opposing forwards constantly try to find ways to beat defenders. Positioning, both of the body and stick is important and being able to mirror the opposing forward step for step is crucial in keeping them between you and the goalie.
Xhekaj - from student to mentor?
When you think of mentors - defence mentors in Montreal, you think of Stephane Robidas, the Habs defensive coach, first. Then you think of veteran players like David Savard and Mike Matheson, guys who have been around the league for a while and have the experience to demand respect, on and off the ice. But what about the guys, who are younger, but have been studying and learning, albeit for just a few seasons?
Xhekaj and Kaiden Guhle for example, are guys who have been around for a little while and have been growing with the core. Could they be ideal players, who can help guys like Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux transition into the league when they reach that level? They had to battle to get there and know what the path was like to establish themselves in the league.
He may not be viewing his lessons as ones for the young guys on the team, but more to better establish himself as a staple on the Canadiens' blue line. But, when he's on the ice or the bench and sees a mistake or a teammate struggling, those lessons could pay off quite well. With development such a high priority and the youth movement upon us, having knowledgeable defenders, regardless of age to lean on, will be important.