Montreal Canadiens: Arber Xhekaj Is Only 23 Years Old...Let's Collectively Take A Deep Breath
Pump The Brakes On A Sheriff Trade
Another narrative, which appears to be littered through a bunch of different clickbait articles - is that Xhekaj will be moved. The rumour mill is chocked full of apparent breaking new, with no legitimate sources to confirm anything. And the reason for that is because you don't trade him, unless Hughes receives a hefty offer.
Do I overvalue the player, no I don't believe that I do - I simply value what he brings to the Canadiens. Albeit a small sample size in the NHL (This year), Xhekaj's offensive game has taken considerable strides. And his strong defensive play has directly correlated to offensive chances, in the AHL anyways.
His blend of size and mobility stands out in a pool full of swift-skating, offensive-minded defenders. Of the defenders that have NHL upside, nobody can do what Xhekaj does. Struble is tough, but Xhekaj is in another weight class, not that it needed to be said.
It's also less about him punching guys' helmets off their heads and more about the fact that he isn't a meathead defenseman. He has used his strength, large frame and long reach for a lot of good things, especially away from the puck. An area that the Canadiens coaching staff were adamant about him improving upon.
With a larger sample size, and hopefully an increase in his ice time, Xhekaj's growth with the puck on his stick should start to show. The shot and lateral mobility were certainly there, but the increased reps with the Rocket looked promising. His confidence undoubtedly grew, because he was using his shot as a weapon.
Now the thought of him on a powerplay unit in Montreal, doesn't seem out of reach. Which is a far cry from the apparent thoughts of trading the strapping defenseman. I am not the first, nor will I be the last to say that Habs media can be wild at the best of times.
This shall pass and something new will take centre stage - a riff between Martin St. Louis and Xhekaj perhaps. I think trading Xhekaj would be a mistake, one of many that this club has made that aged like milk.
Marty Is Simply Challenging Xhekaj
St. Louis's recent presser was so very uncomfortable. And any way that you cut it, it appears that Xhekaj hasn't impressed the Canadiens bench boss. He struggled to say anything positive about the Hamilton, ON native.
Stu Cowan, the Canadiens reporter for the Montreal Gazette had an article published on Thursday morning. Titled Arber Xhekaj remains a work in progress, the article delved into Xhekaj's handling by Marty. It can be misconstrued as a riff between head coach and player, but that simply isn't it.
Certainly Xhekaj was a very rare case of a player who went undrafted, then crack the NHL roster in the season directly after he aged out for junior hockey. He then played the full year with the Canadiens, without any issue. Year two, however, has proven to be more of a challenge, with consideration to Marty's increased expectations.
St. Louis mentioned that he would like to see Xhekaj increase his floor - essentially stressing the importance of him developing more consistency in his play. There is no reason to sugarcoat or mince words, which St. Louis didn't. The transparent approach mustn't waiver when the feedback is less than ideal, and Marty knows that best.
More than anything, St. Louis's belief in Xhekaj is very much there, and it's precisely why he has such heavy expectations for the player. I would be more concerned if St. Louis's perceived lack of consistency from Xhekaj wasn't openly discussed. This is the NHL, the best league in the world and you need to work every day to keep your job.
Fortunately for Xhekaj, all of the tools are there and he is no stranger to adversity. He has taken a similar route to the NHL as St. Louis; as an undrafted free agent. The work is far from done and I think the player is going to become a better player because of the coach's tactics.
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