The Montreal Canadiens have been pegged as a team that could still make further moves by the time the 2026-2027 season rolls around, according to Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. In addition to targeting a top-six forward addition, the club has also been on the hunt for a veteran right-shot defenseman that can play with Lane Hutson. If Montreal is able to pull the trigger on a deal, this could leave one of their experienced players on the outside looking in.
Arber Xhekaj Could be on the Move
That player in question is Arber Xhekaj, a gritty defenseman who has become a fan favorite in Montreal due to his hard-nosed game. Xhekaj has made his mark throughout his four year stint in the NHL as a difficult player to go up against with his imposing 6’4″, 240 pound frame. Xhekaj uses his size to his advantage as he is never afraid to throw the body around and punish the opposition with his physical play. Xhekaj recorded one goal and three assists in 64 regular season games last season. In the postseason, he registered a goal and assist in 12 games.
As it currently stands, Xhekaj is in need of a new contract before this season gets underway. However, the odds appear to be increasing that he will not be resigned by the Canadiens. Via Stu Cowan on the Sick Podcast: “It looks more and more like moving forward, especially if they do get that right shot defenseman, there’s not a spot here for him.”
Xhekaj has dropped on the Montreal depth chart; he projects to be the seventh defenseman at the moment if the club were to bring him back. He would likely slot in behind the top six grouping of Mike Matheson-Noah Dobson, Jayden Struble-Hutson and Kaiden Guhle-Alexandre Carrier. And that is assuming that the Canadiens do not make any more additions to their defensive core, which is unlikely considering how aggressively the team has been in pursuit of making another upgrade on the backend.
Where Could Xhekaj Go?
If Xhekaj were to become available via trade, he would be a defenseman that should draw interest on the market. Xhekaj would be a solid third-pair add for a team looking to insert some grit and sandpaper to their defensive rotation. Any team looking to bring him to the fold would have to execute a move with the Canadiens as they still hold his negotiating rights as an RFA.
As for teams that could be in the mix for Xhekaj, the Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco circled a couple teams as one’s to watch: “We’ve heard Philadelphia quite a bit; I spoke to someone in Calgary…weeks ago, and he told me that they did have interest but may not any more after the acquirement of Jacob Middleton.”
If Calgary is out of the mix, the Philadelphia Flyers would appear to make sense for Xhekaj. He would fit in with that broad street bully mold on a team that has always built an identity around being hard to play against. It will be interesting to see what happens with Xhekaj, a resolution will have to be found soon here as the season continues to fast approach.
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