Florian Xhekaj isn’t likely to play in the NHL anytime soon

Michaël Petit
Florian Xhekaj isn’t likely to play in the NHL anytime soon
Credit: Capture d'écran | Twitter TSN

The Montreal Canadiens need a few key pieces to become even more competitive in the playoffs.

Obviously, there's the much-discussed need for a second-line center and/or a top-6 winger to form a very strong second line, but the team also lacks grit and physicality on the bottom six.

A few names were floated this summer, but Kent Hughes decided to maintain the status quo after seeing the massive contracts handed out to several players.

We can therefore assume that Hughes is banking on reinforcements from within the organization. David Reinbacher could be the reinforcement they're hoping for on the right side of the defensive corps. As for physicality on a third or fourth line, Florian Xhekaj is obviously a name being mentioned, and many hope to see him in the NHL in 2026–27.

In fact, he brings the physicality the Habs are lacking, but Arber's younger brother isn't close to making the big league yet.

Grant McCagg has thoroughly analyzed his last two playoff games with the Laval Rocket against the Toronto Marlies, and it's clear he needs to improve several aspects of his game.

Many Habs fans would like to see the Xhekaj brothers play together in the NHL, but Florian has a few shortcomings that would prevent him from making the team this season.

First of all, McCagg places a lot of emphasis on the fact that he lacks the speed needed to play in the NHL. He clearly needs to work on that, especially if he hopes to play center in the big leagues.

Around the 32-minute mark of the latest episode of HabsCast, McCagg begins to thoroughly analyze Florian's last two games in the 2026 playoffs with the Rocket, and on several occasions, it's clear that he lacks speed.

Obviously, we don't expect him to become a speed demon, but there's a minimum level required to have any hope of playing center in the NHL.

Furthermore, McCagg often points out issues with his body checks. While he almost always follows through on his checks—which is good—he too often puts himself out of position and too far from the play just to complete that check.

All of this falls under the category of decision-making—something his older brother has recently learned in the NHL.

Arber Xhekaj played his best hockey last season, and that was largely due to his decision-making.

Just like his older brother, Florian frequently finds himself in the penalty box. However, when you look closely, his penalty minutes are more often than not game misconduct penalties. He doesn't fight as much as you might think.

In eight playoff games in 2026, Florian racked up 34 penalty minutes, but 20 of those 34 minutes came from two game misconduct penalties.

This is really not ideal for the Rocket, because he's used in every aspect of the game: both on the penalty kill and on the power play.

It's all well and good to talk about his flaws and areas for improvement, but Florian certainly has some great qualities as well.

As I mentioned, he's very physical, delivers hard hits, and has a good forecheck.

But also, since he's used in every possible situation, he's becoming a bit of a “unicorn” player, and honestly, he's pretty responsible defensively. We've often seen him break up plays with his stick; he's actually a pretty smart player, and that allows him to thwart several plays.

Don't forget his dangerous shot, and he's very aggressive—he's not afraid of anything.

He certainly has some great strengths and could eventually become a solid player on one of the bottom two lines in the NHL. It just won't happen right away. Above all, he needs to work on his speed and decision-making.


In a Nutshell

– Habs fans remember this goal very well…

– Let's see.

– Who will win the World Cup?

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