Xhekaj is a 21-year-old power forward center who has added a scoring touch to make him a potential option for the Montreal Canadiens someday.
Many hockey fans who have heard of Florian Xhekaj associate him and his skill set with his brother, Arber Xhekaj. To a point, that's a fair comparison. Both skaters are bigger and hard hitters who bring a physical presence to the game. Florian is starting to make his own mark on the game and distinguish himself from his older brother.
Xhekaj is having a breakout year with the Laval Rocket, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. He centers the fourth line but has developed a two-way game and learned the center position to make him a viable NHLer someday.
Xhekaj Developed a Needed Scoring Touch
Most players who enter the AHL have the skill to play at the next level. They lack everything else and must learn to play a complete game to carve out a role at the next level. "You just need a door to get in, and most of the time, scoring goals won't get you there," Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent mentioned in a conversation with The Hockey News.
Xhekaj was the opposite. He was a physical presence but didn't have the skill to play at the next level. He started his career as a modern-day enforcer but couldn't find the back of the net, scoring only two goals in his first 14 games. Then he started to get to the dirty areas and finish scoring chances. It's how he finished the 2024-25 season with 24 goals.
This season saw a drop in goals as he only found the back of the net 17 times (still a high mark for a checking forward). However, the quality of his goals has improved. He's started to use his shot and skill to find the back of the net, and it was on display in the Calder Cup Playoffs when he fired the puck into the goal in Game One to lead the Rocket to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Marlies.
Xhekaj Already Has the Physical Edge
It takes time for a checking forward to develop. While they don't spend years at the junior, college, or AHL level like goaltenders or defensemen but they must learn a lot before they join the NHL team.
Xhekaj checks off a lot of boxes for a modern-day fourth liner. He delivers big hits and can drop the gloves when needed. In the playoffs, when opponents go after the stars, he's a player who takes the target off of their back.
His most memorable moment this season came in his NHL debut. He dropped the gloves while his brother (and mother in the stands) watched with much anticipation. While that fight was presumably a welcome to the NHL one, he's the type of player who rounds out skilled teams, which the Rocket and the Canadiens are.
How The Canadiens Might Insert Him into Their Lineup
A good problem to have is a great NHL and AHL team. The Canadiens are one win away from advancing to the Second Round and have a team that can go on a Stanley Cup Run. They don't need prospects like Xhekaj to save the day.
On the contrary, there isn't a spot for Xhekaj on the NHL roster, certainly not now and probably not next season either. The Canadiens centers are Nick Suzuki, Jake Evans, Kirby Dach, Phillip Danault, and Oliver Kapanen (who was scratched from the recent game but will eventually develop into a middle-six center). Xhekaj's most likely path to the NHL is to start on the wing with this in mind.
However, Xhekaj's growth puts him on pace to join the NHL team soon enough. He's become the ideal forward for a Calder Cup run, and the Rocket are benefiting because of it. He's learned how to play center in the AHL. The next step is proving he can do it at the NHL level as well.