Canadiens GM Kent Hughes Remains Firm on Keeping Arber Xhekaj

In hockey-crazed Montreal, supporters fall deeply and quickly in love with their heroes. Few people were aware of the hard-hitting defenseman Arber Xhekaj until Marc Bergevin signed him to an entry-level contract in October 2021. After three years, a sizable portion of the Canadiens’ fan base has grown to love the 23-year-old blueliner.

Is it because he comes from modest origins, the son of immigrants who taught his four children that putting in a lot of effort to get what you want is the best path to success? Or perhaps it’s because Xhekaj worked at a Costco throughout the pandemic, when other youngsters were idly thumbing their noses? Or maybe it’s because he used his signing bonus to get his parents brand-new appliances? (from The Gazette, May 12, 2023, “Canadiens’ Arber Xhekaj Learned Important Lessons From His Mother”)

Though it doesn’t hurt, the more likely explanation is that they adore the way he plays the game. Who else seems to be in love with Jack and Simona Xhekaj’s oldest son? NHL general managers (plural). David Pagnotta claims that general manager Kent Hughes is frequently contacted regarding Xhekaj and consistently responds with the same response: no.

There were whispers in January of last year that GMs had contacted Hughes regarding the tough player. It was assumed that he must be available since they had sent him to Laval, but that was untrue. In addition to needing to strengthen his defensive abilities, Xhekaj was transferred to Laval after recovering from an injury, as Hughes stated in an interview with Jean-Charles Lajoie of TVA Sports:

[French translation provided] We have no intention of trading Arber Xhekaj. Because he is no longer a part of our plans, he is not in the AHL. […] Arber had an injury both last year and this year. We were unable to afford to send him down to the AHL last year. Struble proved to us this year that he was prepared. Not that he’s surpassed Xhekaj in our standing. He consented to us sending him to the AHL to hone certain areas of his game.

Since then, Xhekaj has been brought up from the American Hockey League (AHL) and has spent the majority of his time in a pairing with David Savard. However, he had to end his season early due to a left shoulder injury that necessitated surgery. During his post-season media appearance, he acknowledged that the injury wasn’t brand-new and that it had bothered him since his junior year. He continued, saying that even though he ought to have gotten it addressed earlier, he didn’t want to quit playing during his contract year.

A good “big brother” for Logan Mailloux in Laval, Xhekaj proved to be while he was sent down to hone some areas of his game. The two formed a compelling duo, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them on the same pairing in Montreal in the near future.

Jean-François Houle, the head coach of Laval, had positive things to say about the young player while he was playing for the Canadiens farm team:

Sometimes it requires time. He was sent down after playing in the NHL full-time the previous season. You have to get to know your teammates. Even if it’s not enjoyable for him, I believe he knows why he’s here. […] He has shown promise thus far, and I now feel much more at ease with him.

Xhekaj found his relegation to be difficult on a physical and mental level, but in the end, he recognized the chance it presented to improve. He came to see that one of the best ways to prevent costly turnovers is to buy yourself some time before moving the puck in the defensive zone. Considering that this was the main reason he was sent down, this will no doubt satisfy the Habs brass.

A unique combination of strength and talent, old and new, defense and offense, Xhekaj is a rare breed of defenseman. Sometimes he plays hockey like a tough guy from “the old days,” but other times he proves to us and everyone around him that he is a modern-day player by demonstrating his ability to skate with the puck and pose a threat from the blue line.

In addition, he made room on the second power-play unit during his rookie campaign and showed a talent for seeing opportunities to get the puck in the net, which allowed forwards to score by deflecting shots or by diving on rebounds. However, he also demonstrated last season that he is capable of launching a powerful shot from the blue line that can catch a goalie off guard or force a defenseman to rethink their attempt to block it.

Despite his ability to perform all of this, he isn’t afraid to “take one for the team” and defend a teammate, even if it means removing his gloves. Early in his rookie campaign, he established a reputation for himself by engaging in sparring matches with players like Mark Kastelic, Vincent Desharnais, and Zack Kassian. He also easily defeated Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy Ryan Reaves early in the previous campaign. According to Juraj Slafkovsky on the Raw Knuckles Podcast, his teammates feel bigger and rougher when he’s in the lineup and believe they can take some risks.

Xhekaj is a depth player with a skill set that is a luxury, even if he will never be a top-pairing defenseman and should ideally be a third-pairing player for a club that is in contention. You hardly barely notice if one of the third defenseman duos on many teams is substituted with the seventh blueliner on any given day. With Xhekaj, on the other hand, you can tell when he is and is not present. He’ll become a restricted free agent on July 1st, and given the calls he’s receiving, Montreal’s general manager would be wise to give this signing top priority. It could, after all, be the beginning of the blue line salary system.

That’s my explanation for why Hughes is still unwilling to move Xhekaj and why he didn’t want to do so in January. Though it doesn’t seem like there are as many suitors, he is still willing to working with other new blueliners.