Longtime NHL enforcer Georges Laraque calls for the Montreal Canadiens to trade Arber Xhekaj
Arber Xhekaj has been involved in plenty of trade speculation as of late, and now after the team's latest move, Georges Laraque has demanded he be traded.
While Arber Xhekaj still has plenty of improving to do as any everyday defenseman in the NHL, he has improved mightily in recent times and still brings a great impact as a physical threat in today's league. In 2024/25 thus far, he has been in and out of the lineup through the first month of the season, and after he was called out by Head Coach Martin St. Louis, he showed plenty more improvement to his game.
Now, he has been scratched once more, and it appears this may have been the last straw for former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque, who went on a rant after the Canadiens matchup with the Washington Capitals.
If Xhekaj, even though we agree he could improve defensively; you're not using him in a game where you've got three guys who'll be physical, on the road, and make a difference.. Who will you use him against? Against the Ice Capades? This is the type of game where you need Xhekaj in the lineup, exactly!" - Georges Laraque
It's a great point made by Laraque, as his only strengths at this point are his physicality and his fighting, so if you aren't going to bring him into the lineup for that or let him play and learn through failure and patience, then what is the point? Ultimately, it's unclear how much interest there would be for Xhekaj around the league, but there must be at least one team that has interest in landing him, and if they do, it's time for Montreal to move on.
