Florian Xhekaj needs to be watched this season.
Montreal Canadiens prospect Florian Xhekaj is going to be an intriguing prospect to watch during the 2026-27 season.
Xhekaj appeared in his first five NHL games last season for Montreal, where he recorded one assist, seven penalty minutes, and nine hits. While he did not get into a ton of action for the Canadiens last season, he showed during his brief call-up that he can provide plenty of energy and grit.
Xhekaj has also shown promise at the AHL level with the Laval Rocket. During this past season for Laval, he posted 17 goals, 29 points, and 182 penalty minutes in 64 games. This was after he had 24 goals, 35 points, and 175 penalty minutes in 69 games for the Rocket during the 2024-25 season.
Overall, Xhekaj has been a solid player in the AHL, and it could very well lead to him getting more chances on the Canadiens' roster next season. At only 22 years old, he is still very young and has the potential to develop into a legitimate NHL player. Due to this, it would not be surprising if he took another step in the right direction on that front next season.
It is going to be interesting to see what Xhekaj can do this upcoming season. The 6-foot-3 forward is an under-the-radar breakout candidate to watch.
