Trading Arber Xhekaj for a good defender: Martin McGuire “wouldn’t be surprised”

Félix Forget
Trading Arber Xhekaj for a good defender: Martin McGuire “wouldn’t be surprised”
Credit: Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images

The teams in the Bettman circuit now have less than 48 hours to complete transactions. Starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, this will be prohibited until the end of the season.

And today, we saw the market become increasingly active.

That said, so far, the Habs have been quiet. We know that the club is trying to trade Patrik Laine and that it may be looking to improve elsewhere. And last night, against the Sharks, we saw that bringing in some reinforcements on the blue line wouldn't hurt.

Martin McGuire, speaking on 98.5 FM today, discussed this very scenario. In his opinion, if the Habs are looking for a good defenseman, there's one guy to keep an eye on: Arber Xhekaj.

McGuire says he “wouldn't be surprised” if Xhekaj were traded for a defenseman.

According to McGuire, Xhekaj is a valuable player across the league. He is the kind of interesting prospect for a team that can afford to give a defenseman time and let him make mistakes so that he can develop, but also so that he can bring his physicality to the table.

At 25, one might wonder if Xhekaj can really develop substantially or if he has already “peaked.” But there are clearly teams that are interested in taking that gamble.

One might think, for example, that Xhekaj could be used to acquire a right-handed defenseman who would help the club when shorthanded. Because right now, that's a major need in town.

And of course, it makes sense to think of Zach Whitecloud. We know that the Flames defenseman, who just arrived in town following the Rasmus Andersson trade, is seen as a realistic target for the Habs… but we know that the Flames are interested in Xhekaj.

It's not crazy to imagine a scenario in which a trade involving both defensemen could happen.

We know that Xhekaj is a fan favorite in Montreal, but he doesn't seem to have his coach's confidence, and the fact that he's left-handed rather than right-handed is a problem. If he were a right-handed defenseman, he would probably have a more secure place in the city.

Let's see how this situation plays out.


In brief

– The Rocket is in action tonight.

— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) March 4, 2026

@TVASports pic.twitter.com/8B8ke5AGxd

— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) March 4, 2026

— A name to watch.

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