Montreal Canadiens Agree To Contract Extension With Arber Xhekaj

The Montreal Canadiens and Arber Xhekaj had difficulty agreeing on his contract this offseason. However, the parties signed a two-year, $2.6 million extension on Tuesday morning. It's a team-friendly deal for the Canadiens, as Xhekaj will still be 25 when the contract ends, making him a restricted free agent. The Canadiens have plenty of defense depth in the system, so they could cut ties with Xhekaj in two seasons if Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, and Adam Engstrom have all earned spots on the NHL roster.

If Xhekaj becomes an integral piece of the Canadiens lineup, they'll sign him to a more long-term deal to keep him in Quebec. The problem for the Canadiens is that Xhekaj played just 95 games over the last two seasons. Both campaigns have been cut short by shoulder injuries which required surgeries. Xhekaj's right shoulder went under the knife in 2022-23, while he had a procedure on his left shoulder this past April.

Xhekaj had five goals and eight assists in 51 games in his rookie season while tallying just three goals and seven assists in 44 games last season. Xhekaj's defensive play showed improvement last season, boasting an impressive +6 rating while playing with one of the worst teams in the league.

Xhekaj's offensive play isn't what will give him a long-term extension in Montreal. He brings something to the Habs blueline that they don't have, a physical edge. The Canadiens have a lot of young, skilled guys in the pipeline, but they lack players like Xhekaj. I can see Xhekaj holding a spot in the Habs lineup just for that reason, despite the abundance of depth in the system.

Xhekaj will have to prove that he is past his injury issues, as there isn't much use for a physical defenseman who blows his shoulder out every season.