Friedman Drops a Bombshell on the Montreal Canadiens: Arber Xhekaj Was in Trade Talks For a Recent Top-5 Pick
Arber Xhekaj's future with the Montreal Canadiens appeared uncertain following his assignment to the AHL. Recently, NHL expert Elliotte Friedman hinted in his podcast "32 Thoughts" that Xhekaj might have been close to being exchanged for another prominent young player.
Speculation of Xhekaj's Near Trade by Friedman
In his podcast, Friedman discussed Arber Xhekaj, noting that multiple teams have expressed interest in him. He speculated that the Philadelphia Flyers could have been involved in a potential trade, possibly for Cutter Gauthier.
Although Friedman wasn't certain about a deal involving Gauthier, he pointed out that Xhekaj is a highly coveted prospect. He also mentioned that Xhekaj's style aligns with the type of player the Flyers are seeking. Nonetheless, Friedman expressed doubts about Xhekaj being traded.
Friedman Believes Xhekaj Will Remain With Canadiens
Further discussing the situation, Friedman focused on the Montreal Canadiens' stance. He emphasized that the team has repeatedly stated their intention not to trade Xhekaj.
Reinforcing their stance, the Canadiens recently recalled Xhekaj from the AHL, where he had been showing impressive offensive skills.
With Xhekaj's return to the NHL, it will be interesting to observe if he can replicate his AHL offensive achievements with the Canadiens.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 23 | 126 ANSWERS Friedman Drops a Bombshell on the Montreal Canadiens: Arber Xhekaj Was in Trade Talks For a Recent Top-5 Pick Do you think Friedman is a good insider? | ||
| Yes | 73 | 57.9 % |
| No | 53 | 42.1 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Jesper Bratt | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sean Monahan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Cam Atkinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Simon Holmstom | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Stefan Noesen | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Roslovic | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Victor Hedman | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Scott Mayfield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Dmitry Orlov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ondrej Palat | - | 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 | ||||||