Xhekaj Arber on the Trade Block? An NHL analyst believes that his days with the Canadiens are numbered.
Georges Laraques, a former NHL enforcer who is now an analyst, thinks Arber Xhekaj’s time with the Canadiens is coming to an end and anticipates a trade for him shortly.
Shortly ago, Georges Laraque publicly stated on BPM Sports that Arber Xhekaj’s tenure with the Montreal
It may be the end for Canadiens. Without holding back, Laraque confidently predicted that the defensemen will eventually be traded by General Manager Kent Hughes.
The 23-year-old Xhekaj, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 240 pounds, hasn’t had the finest start to the season. He has two penalty minutes, a -4 plus/minus rating, and no points in five games. Since the Habs came close to making a huge blockbuster trade with the Calgary Flames at the end of the previous season, but those talks broke through, it seems that Laraque is quite certain that a transfer is coming. This would also be the first time that Xhekaj’s name is brought up in trade negotiations.
Arber Xhekaj was once a certain starter for the Montreal Canadiens, but he is currently on the team’s fringes. The writing was on the wall when he went from being a regular player to a healthy scratch in the lineup. Xhekaj played in every game during the early part of the season while teammate defenseman Jayden Struble was sidelined, but now that the Canadiens defense is fully healthy, he appears to be the odd man out as the seventh defenseman. For this young defenseman, who was expected to play a significant part this season and not simply as an enforcer, this is quite a surprise.
Given his rugged approach and reputation as a player who brings grit to the rink, the Canadiens’ decision to bench him in favor of alternative defense options is a severe setback. Not only does Arber Xhekaj’s benching hurt, but he will also miss a game against the New York Rangers and their own enforcer Matt Rempe since he was relegated to the stands once more today instead of being in the lineup. Being excluded from a match against a squad that has a player like Rempe raises more concerns about what Xhekaj’s future may hold given the
It is necessary to inquire when or if he will get another chance if he is not going to play in a game that appears to be specifically designed for his skill set. It would appear that games like tonight’s should be Arber Xhekaj’s specialty given his stature and tough style of play.
Nevertheless, he is looking in from the outside, and the call reveals a lot about how management feels about his current position on the team. After practice on Monday morning, Xhekaj’s dissatisfaction was evident, and it was impossible to hide it.Canadians.
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