Beloved Enforcer Arber Xhekaj Comments on Being Sent to the AHL
In a shocking move, the Montreal Canadiens sent down beloved enforcer Arber Xhekaj to the AHL, and he recently had this to say about the decision.
Xhekaj Suprised With Canadiens Decision to Send Him to the Minors
Arber Xhekaj is one of the Montreal Canadiens' most beloved young defensemen, notably for his ability to drop the gloves and his unrelenting toughness. Xhekaj has made a name for himself around the league as one of the next toughest players to take over the reign of enforcer in the NHL.
"Evidently, when a fight doesn't go your way, you want another shot at redeeming yourself. That's okay, I'll be ready."
However, that was not enough to keep him up and playing full-time with the Montreal Canadiens, as he was sent down to play in the Minors. This came as a shock for Zhekaj, who had the following comments on the decision.
«It was a little bit of a surprise it made sense from their point. They just want to see me play a lot of minutes and develop my game.»
Xhekaj Could Benefit From Development in the AHL
While the decision came as a shock to most, it could be the right move for the long-term future of the Montreal Canadiens. Xhekaj has performed well, but he has the potential to be a top defenseman. Under the current circumstances, he needs the ice time in order to develop his game.
However, he will surely be missed whenever something goes haywire and needs to be addressed on the ice.
| POLL | ||
DÉCEMBRE 5 | 187 ANSWERS Beloved Enforcer Arber Xhekaj Comments on Being Sent to the AHL Do you think the Canadiens should have kept Xhekaj in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 100 | 53.5 % |
| No | 87 | 46.5 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Sean Monahan | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Zachary Werenski | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Jesper Bratt | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Cam Atkinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Yegor Chinakhov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Simon Holmstom | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kent Johnson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Elias Lindholm | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Stefan Noesen | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden Point | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 18 | 14 | 4 | - | 28 | |
Capitals | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 27 | |
Wild | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 27 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Devils | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
Stars | 18 | 12 | 6 | - | 24 | |
Golden Knights | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 24 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||