If you ask any die-hard fan of the Montreal Canadiens who brings the pulse, the grit, and the intimidation factor to the Bell Centre, they’ll instantly point to Arber Xhekaj. But the harsh reality of the NHL is that heart and toughness don’t always protect you from a numbers game. Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette recently dropped a bombshell that has Habs fans buzzing: it might be time for general manager Kent Hughes to trade the 6’4”, 240-pound enforcer.
Why? It comes down to ice time and internal competition. This season, Xhekaj has been averaging just over 11 minutes a night on the third pairing. Meanwhile, Jayden Struble has leaped ahead, averaging over 14 minutes as he battles Xhekaj for that coveted sixth spot on the blueline. With Xhekaj eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1, and Struble locked in for another year at a highly manageable $1.412 million AAV, the writing could be on the wall. For a player with Xhekaj’s toughness, a trade might be the only way to secure the everyday top-six role he desperately needs.
How the Ottawa Senators Could Force the Canadiens’ Hand
If the Montreal Canadiens decide to pull the trigger, the market for a bruising, left-shot defenseman with a booming slapshot will be robust. However, the most fascinating suitor lies just a few hours down the highway: the Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa owner Michael Andlauer is intimately familiar with what Xhekaj brings to the table. Andlauer owned the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2022 when Xhekaj was an instrumental force in their championship run. Cowan raised a brilliant point—if the Canadiens are hesitant to trade a physical menace to an Atlantic Division rival, could the Senators weaponize an offer sheet this summer? Xhekaj’s arbitration rights and RFA status make him highly vulnerable to a predatory offer that Montreal might not want to match given their salary structure.
Balancing the Blueline: The Future of the Montreal Canadiens Defense
As an NHL analyst, my take is rooted in asset management. Xhekaj is rapidly becoming expendable, not because he lacks talent, but because the pipeline is overflowing. David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom are poised to make massive pushes for NHL roster spots this fall. You simply cannot block blue-chip prospects from developing just to keep a third-pairing enforcer, no matter how much the Bell Centre crowd loves him.
Trading Xhekaj will undoubtedly upset a fanbase that adores his old-school, bone-crushing style. But in the modern NHL, nostalgia doesn’t win Stanley Cups. If Kent Hughes can flip Xhekaj for a premium forward prospect or a high draft pick—and if Engstrom and Reinbacher blossom into the quality NHL defensemen they are projected to be—the sting of losing “The Sheriff” will fade quickly. Expect the Canadiens to hold onto him through the playoffs for that essential postseason toughness, but as July 1 approaches, a trade feels increasingly inevitable.
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The post Why the Montreal Canadiens Must Trade Arber Xhekaj Now appeared first on NHL Trade Rumors.
