Can the Re-Signed Arber Xhekaj Reach Another Level for the Montreal Canadiens?

When he burst onto the scene in Montreal, making the Canadiens out of training camp two years ago as an undrafted player, Arber Xhekaj became an instant fan favorite.

His incredible confidence, unlimited toughness and attitude that helped instill fear into opposing players made him popular. And two years later, he’s signed a two-year, $2.6-milliom contract that will keep him in the Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge for the next couple of seasons.

Xhekaj is a force of nature physically, and that’s what he will always be known for. There have been ongoing conversations around hockey in the last few years about whether a purely physical presence in the lineup is needed, with players such as Xhekaj and New York Rangers’ winger Matt Rempe becoming prominent names in the NHL. 

The logical answer to that question is that having a player like that is great when they can be a functional member of your team and you don’t have to worry about whether they are going to get caved in on every shift. (We’re looking at you, Ryan Reaves).

Xhekaj can be that player for the Canadiens. 

He’s shown some ability to be a solid defensive player, using his physicality to close out and kill play along the boards. The brutish blueliner can struggle at times when pivoting and chasing down pucks dumped behind him, but Xhekaj always works to get himself back into the play if he's losing the race. He may not be an elite defender, but he seems to do well in a depth role.

When Xhekaj keeps things simple on the breakout, he can get the puck to the young skilled forwards that Montreal's assembling, such as Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and eventually, top prospect Ivan Demidov. 

Xhekaj has also shown a willingness to get involved as a puck carrier or support skater in transition at times, but it’s certainly not a consistent part of his game.

In the offensive zone, there may be a bit of room for growth. His aggressive nature in all facets of the game may give him the best chance to grow in the attacking end. In his final OHL playoff with the Hamilton Bulldogs, he was nearly a point-per-game player, which was a huge step up from his regular-season production.

When he went down to the AHL for the first time in his career this past season, he showed quite a bit more offensively with 11 points in 17 games by simply asserting himself. He didn’t quite do that when he returned to the NHL after his AHL stint, but the ability is there. Xhekaj seems to recognize when and when not to jump up and join the play which is an asset in and of itself.

As it stands, Xhekaj isn’t just a blunt object the Canadiens can use to beat their opponents physically. He is already a useful NHLer who can make plays at both ends of the ice. 

Even if he never takes a big step offensively, showing he has that in his bag at times would be a huge win for the Habs. Doing so at a cap hit of $1.3 million would give the Canadiens plenty of reason to keep Xhekaj in the lineup every game for the foreseeable future.