It would be understandable if Arber Xhekaj wanted to leave

Marc-Olivier Cook
It would be understandable if Arber Xhekaj wanted to leave
Credit: YouTube / CH

Arber Xhekaj finds himself in a somewhat precarious situation.

He still hasn't signed his contract for next season, and the Canadiens' training camp is set to begin in just a few days.

How will this situation be resolved? 

Nicolas Cloutier published an article in which he discusses the fact that the team's blue line is crowded. The journalist explains it well: seeing that there are several defensemen ahead of him, Arber knows he might have a more limited role in the lineup.

His role has already been a topic of discussion in recent years…

And it was that sentence in particular that got me thinking… because it's true:

With Reinbacher and Engström pushing for playing time, it's understandable that Xhekaj would wonder if a Western Conference team has regular minutes to offer him. – Nicolas Cloutier

The article in question can be found here:

Let's be honest: Arber Xhekaj may not be in the most ideal situation for his career.

The guy will turn 26 in January, but he finds himself at a stage where he still has to prove he can be a regular defenseman in the National Hockey League. We know his strengths; we know he brings that much-sought-after physical presence that every club looks for…

But we also know he lacks consistency, and we know his decision-making isn't always on point either. And that explains why, today, we're still talking about him as a backup defenseman—at best—in the NHL.

At this point, it's up to him to show that he deserves a real chance to make a difference in a lineup. But even there, the problem is this: Montreal isn't the place where he gives himself the best possible chance of achieving that goal…


In a nutshell

– This confirms what had been circulating about him.

– Awesome!

– Meeeee!

– Wow.

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