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Stu Cowan sees Florian Xhekaj as one of the favourites for a recall if there are injuries in 24-25

 Jennifer Davis
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Stu Cowan sees Florian Xhekaj as one of the favourites for a recall if there are injuries in 24-25
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot
There will be plenty of quality prospects to keep an eye on at the upcoming Canadian training camp.

Of the lot? It will be interesting to see Florian Xhekaj in action, because he has really progressed in the last year.

He had a fine season in the OHL, ending the campaign with three games at the professional level with the Laval Rocket.

The man we recognize as Arber’s little brother is eligible to return to junior for next season, but the more things go, the more it looks like it would be a surprise if he did.

Florian is physically mature, he had a very good development camp and it’s still logical to believe that he would progress more in the AHL because of his style of play.

Stu Cowan is among those who see him starting the season in Laval, but he goes even further than that: for him, it’s not impossible to see Florian Xhekaj being recalled to Montreal as early as next season, circumstances permitting.

This is what he said in a recent article:

I expect Xhekaj to start the season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, but I can also see him being among those at the top of the list for recall if there are injuries with the Habs. – Stu Cowan

Honestly, it’s far from crazy, because even then, Florian’s style of play could allow him to play in the National League quickly (like Arber).

He’s big, he hits, he’s good on the forecheck and he’s got a good shot. He’ll probably never play a top-6 NHL game, but these attributes could be important for a club looking to add some grit to its line-up.

Ultimately, Xhekaj could be seen most if there are several injuries among the forwards at some point next season.

Nobody wants that to happen… But we’ve seen how difficult it’s been in Montreal’s infirmary over the last few years.

My impression is that the Habs will give Florian time to prove himself in Laval, and we can’t expect him to be the first player called up if there’s an injury in Montreal.

But if Florian has a good camp, does well at the start of the season by applying his style of play and the Habs need to turn to a youngster in Laval… The possibility of seeing him with the big club will be very real if there are any injuries.


In Overtime

– Michael Hage on his experience at the development camp.

– Good question…

– They know how to score!

– He really looks like a good jack, Nazem Kadri.

– Too bad.

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