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David Savard has “helped a lot” Arber Xhekaj since his arrival in the NHL
DansLesCoulisses.com
David Savard has “helped a lot” Arber Xhekaj since his arrival in the NHL
Credit: Getty Images

In his first season in the NHL, Arber Xhekaj impressed everyone by making a place for himself in the Canadiens’ regular lineup. The first sheriff’s rodeo went well, but he has had his share of difficulties since that first season.

As a rugged and fight-capable player, Xhekaj had no problem attracting the love of the Tricolore fans. The only problem is that at some point, we felt that he was putting his desire to hit before the team’s needs.

His fights and penalties often cost the CH dearly.

However, the defenseman has since regrouped and it’s perhaps thanks to David Savard. Xhekaj sees Savard as a mentor in the NHL, and he claims that the veteran “is one of those who has had the most impact” on him in Montreal.

This is what he revealed in an interview with Evan Milner of the Canadiens.

Xhekaj’s second season in the NHL was far from impressive. The good news is that he had the chance to pair up with Savard for most of the 2024-25 season.

Playing with a responsible defenseman like Savard seems to have allowed Xhekaj to release some stress and focus on his own game.

In fact, Xhekaj is happy to have become a calmer player. He no longer wants to cause problems for his team by taking bad penalties due to his frustration.

We’ve seen Xhekaj fight a few times this season, but he now knows when to draw the line. In January, when the Canadiens were leading 3-0 in a game against the Maple Leafs, he refused to fight with Ryan Reaves.

It wasn’t time to give energy to his opponents.

Regarding Savard, Xhekaj says he admires his teammate’s career on the blue line. We’re talking about players with a similar build, who have a support role, but who can be important for an NHL team.

During the interview, Xhekaj confirmed that he would like to have a career similar to Savard’s. Playing over 800 games in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup are two challenges that the young Canadiens defenseman would like to achieve.

Unfortunately for Xhekaj, he may soon have to part with his teammate, as several rumors claim that David Savard could be traded before the trade deadline.


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