Arber Xhekaj on the offensive: Is the front office more open-minded than Martin St-Louis?

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Arber Xhekaj on the offensive: Is the front office more open-minded than Martin St-Louis?
Credit: Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Are you looking forward to it starting?

Starting next week, the Canadiens' training camp will get underway. And we'll start to get some answers about the lines Martin St-Louis has put together.

At first, it'll just be hints… but as time goes on, we'll see more of what the Habs have in store for their fans.

We'll see if Martin St-Louis (by the way, when will the coach get a contract?) decides to put Xhekaj on a fourth line, as many people are asking.

I deliberately just said “Xhekaj” because some people want to see Arber, while others would rather see Florian.

And if we're to believe Tony Marinaro, who discussed the topic with Jimmy Murphy on the Sick Podcast (in an episode themed around the idea that the Habs aren't ready for training camp), we shouldn't expect St-Louis to put Arber in that role.

Why? Because, according to Marinaro's intuition, the coach wouldn't want to put Arber Xhekaj on offense as much as management would—who might be more open to the idea.

According to Marinaro, who is speculating on the subject, perhaps the coach doubts that Xhekaj has the instinct to do what a forward of his style should do on the ice.

Specifically, we're talking about being in the right place at the right time and going for it—with the right footwork—when it counts.

Basically, let's just say we all know that Martin St. Louis isn't the biggest fan of Arber Xhekaj on the planet. But in my view, I think it would be worth giving it a try.

Why? To maximize Xhekaj's potential.

As a forward, he'd have more leeway to make mistakes. He could better fulfill his role as a player who can fight, but more importantly, who can bring physicality to the lineup on a regular basis.

But given how long we've been talking about this, I don't think we'll see him on offense on a regular basis. What happened last March (one game on offense) is more of an anomaly than anything else for a player who still doesn't have a contract as of this writing.


In a Nutshell

– For those interested.

– Note:

– Waivers: Who should you keep an eye on?

– Interesting.

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