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Canadiens Must Not Trade Arber Xhekaj

The NHL's premier clubs, and many of the past juggernauts, have a player with a profile similar to Arber Xhekaj. Montreal Canadiens manager Kent Hughes must be aware of the asset he has.

Tyler Major-Mcnicol

Mar 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj (72) reacts during the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj (72) reacts during the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images
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Arber Xhekaj is the kind of player that nearly every NHL general manager covets, and many successful teams have a player with a similar profile.

If you find a diamond in the rough like Xhekaj, you hold onto him.

6-foot-4, 240-pound defensemen don’t grow on trees. Add into the mix that he has brilliant mobility and a big bottom of a slap shot, and then he begins to present a certain level of intrigue. 

Larry Robinson is among the Montréal Canadiens' top three, if not the greatest, defensemen in the history of the organization. His 6-foot-4, 220+ pound frame did damage to the opposition.

When Larry was confident, he was a physical menace, but he could also create a zone exit himself and bruise the netting with his how-it’s-done slap shot from the top of the zone.

Arber, though, has the talent but lacks consistency right now. With David Savard out of the picture, Xhekaj mustn’t be traded.

This could come back to bite the Canadiens in the future, and Arber won’t let up against the Canadiens when he visits, should he be dealt away.

For a modernized version of the Robinson comparison, let’s take a look at the final four teams that competed in their respective conference finals. 

The Florida Panthers battled the Carolina Hurricanes, while the Oilers had their hands full with the Stars, and each of the four teams has a player on their defense similarly profiled to Xhekaj.

Aside from Nurse, each player's ceiling is middle pairing, and you could argue the same for him, too, honestly. 

Anyway, these four guys are not fun to play against. That sounds similar to Xhekaj's profile, and he would probably tune in any of the four if they look at him the wrong way.

Thankfully, and hopefully, he’ll be around when the club challenges these big four teams down the road. With Stanley Cup glory on the line, Xhekaj is the type of defensemen you want in the lineup; the kind of defenseman that will go to bat for his teammates. Retaining Xhekaj and then adding Florian Xhekaj to the mix down the road is exactly what the team needs. 

Let the Sheriff patrol the Canadiens' blue line next time around during the playoffs, and something beautiful might happen. 

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Tyler Major-Mcnicol
TYLER MAJOR-MCNICOL

Tyler is a former Algonquin College journalism graduate, and passionate hockey fan. His love for the Montreal Canadiens comes second to his love of hockey. With two daughter’s under four years old, hockey is always a topic of conversation. Nothing gets me quite excited like an empty canvas waiting to have a story written on it, and the smell of fresh ice in the air.

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