Arber Xhekaj is (almost) not playing: A solution must be found for the sixth defenseman position

Marc-Olivier Cook
Arber Xhekaj is (almost) not playing: A solution must be found for the sixth defenseman position
Credit: Getty Images

5 minutes and 51 seconds.

Why am I starting my article with these words?

Because that's how much time Arber Xhekaj spent on the ice last night in Minnesota. Let's be clear: it's not a lot. And it's not the first time Martin St-Louis has used his defenseman this way.

It's simple, really: for the past few games, the Sheriff hasn't been playing much. He's only played more than 10 minutes twice in the Canadiens' last eight games, and it's starting to become a problem.

Since Kaiden Guhle's return to the lineup, St-Louis has been playing with five defensemen. And that's not necessarily ideal, even if the results have been interesting so far.

It's a nice idea to play with five defensemen.

In the short term, it might work. But… it's certainly not viable in the long term, and it may force Kent Hughes to make a move at some point. Because there's also this: the Canadiens don't seem to trust Jayden Struble anymore.

The defenseman hasn't played since January 22, and that's definitelynot a coincidence. 

The Canadiens need to consider acquiring a right-handed defenseman who can fill the role of sixth defenseman.

Because the Habs need to find a solution to this problem if they want to go far in the playoffs. They can't just rely on Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, and Alexandre Carrier…

The only other internal solution that comes to mind is Adam Engström.

But we've seen that the defenseman still has a lot to learn before he can establish himself as a regular in the National Hockey League. And that's normal: the kid is 22 years old and only in his second season as a pro in North America.

That said, we know that Kent Hughes has the assets to make a trade.

And knowing the GM, knowing at least that he's not afraid to make moves to fix his team's “problems”… it wouldn't be surprising to see him seek help on defense before the NHL trade deadline. 


Overtime

– Note:

– Poor McDavid.

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