Could the delay in Arber Xhekaj signing his knee contract be a result of the Montreal Canadiens asking him to become a forward?
There’s been a lot of chatter online of late about the fact that the Montreal Canadiens have yet to sign defenseman Arber Xhekaj to a new contract, and Grant McCagg even reported that the team has asked the hulking defenseman to play forward.
This is interesting, to say the least, especially since he played one game as a forward last season because he told the coach he was willing to do it. Back then, Jayden Struble partnered with Lane Hutson, and Xhekaj had sat for six games. With Josh Anderson battling a virus, the Canadiens needed some help up front, and the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenseman stepped up.
The experiment only lasted for one game, however, and it didn’t give Xhekaj much in terms of ice time. He had six shifts, which amounted to five minutes and 11 seconds of action, in which he was able to land six hits. It wasn’t a bad game, far from it, but it wasn’t all that conclusive either. That’s hardly surprising since the oldest of the Xhekaj brothers hadn’t played forward since his first year in junior.
Could the Xhekaj signing be delayed because he is mulling over the possibility of playing forward next season? I would be surprised. Contract negotiations happen between the player's representatives and the GM; the decision of who plays where ultimately rests with Coach Martin St-Louis. I struggle to see Hughes telling Xhekaj that he’d get a regular turn in the lineup if he were to switch position. That’s not part of Hughes’ job, and I very much doubt that he would try to hijack his coach’s player-choice decisions.
Ultimately, if Xhekaj wants to establish himself as a regular NHLer, his odds of making it would probably be much better on defence, in a spot where he’s used to play.
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