Arber Xhekaj can establish himself as a #4 defenseman this season (according to Eric Engels)
Auteur: jdavis![Arber Xhekaj can establish himself as a #4 defenseman this season (according to Eric Engels)](https://cdn.buminteractif.com/2024/07/GettyImages-2141038167-800x450.jpg)
Arber Xhekaj didn’t have the season he wanted in 23-24.
After playing 17 games with the Rocket, Xhekaj was recalled at the end of January and enjoyed some respectable moments with the big club… But his season came to an end in early April when he was forced to undergo surgery on his left shoulder.
All this to say that it wasn’t the season of the century in his case, and he knows it. Xhekaj told the Review that he knows he can give more, but that injuries had a big impact on his game last season.
The defenseman should be in top form for the start of training camp, and he’d better get up early because there are going to be some great battles at the blue line.
That said, even if the season doesn’t start until September, we can already start thinking about the defensemen who will be in Martin St-Louis’ line-up for the first game of the season.
But Eric Engels’ comments are interesting, especially when he talks about the Sheriff’s ceiling.
In his eyes, it’s the perfect time for him to establish himself as Montreal’s #4 defenseman:
There aren’t many players who bring the same elements […] He has a good skating stroke, he has great offensive skills and he’s improving defensively. How many defensemen this strong are capable of doing the same things? – Eric Engels
Engels: This Habs Defenseman Could Solidify Himself As #4 | The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro July 22 2024 https://t.co/0nBS8uav1b
– The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) July 23, 2024
Harris, Struble, Barron, Mailloux, Reinbacher, Hutson, Xhekaj, Engström… It’s a long list, and it doesn’t include Savard, Guhle and Matheson, because their places are already guaranteed in Martin St-Louis’ line-up.
But what helps in Xhekaj’s case is that he’s able to bring the element of toughness that the other guys (apart from Mailloux) don’t have in their respective toolbags.
This will be the defenseman’s third season in the big league, and at camp, he’ll be one of the interesting players to watch because he’s gained experience in the last two years.
Overtime
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via @SanJoseSharks pic.twitter.com/mP4LM5KjQq
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