Confirmed with Link: Arber Xhekaj Signed 2 years @ 1.3 AAV

[HabSgt]

Good signing. Time for some Xhek!

 

[Deebs]

Anyhow, now that he’s locked for 2 years, my hope is that the coaching staff helps him develop his skills.
What I would like to happen is to gradually turn him into a PK specialist. Everyone on this board either wants or thinks Savard is on his way out at the tdl…. someone needs to take these minutes on the pk and I think Ghule is already overused for his own good. Matheson is a complete catastrophy on the pk. I don’t see Hutson being used in that role, and don’t think either Reinbacher or Mailloux will crack the lineup to start the season.
Xhekaj will likely continue to crush people with his massive hits, and will certainly continue to defend his teammates.
If he can cut the rest of his penalties, while continuing to dish out controlled violence, that would be a great improvement.

Arber is the perfect 3rd pairing D man if he can clean up his defensive zone play and continue to improve his agility. With him losing weight this summer it's a great start to obtaining those goals. He'll also have the ability to move up a pairing if needed because of injuries.

Happy for the kid and the organization

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Good signing, Wifi has to stay healthy and improve his game. Habs will know better in two years if he is worth committing to long term.

If they decide Xhekaj isn't worth such a commitment, he'll have no trouble finding other suitors who will.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

Xhekaj is a solid skater who can actually play. Yes goons like Rempe might play 8 minutes per game but it is still a game of intimidation. Imagine having a player like Xhekaj who is just as tough as any good in the league but can also play close to 20 minutes per night?

I’d love to imagine that. It’s not his skating that’s the issue. It’s his defensive IQ. And we simply have better defencemen in the system. Do I go back to my original comment- he has a lot of work to to improve that to no longer be a liability. I’d love to see him make that step. But the game is getting away from « role » players and every player in the lineup needs to be better well rounded

 

[sampollock]

great signing

fan favorite

 

[The Real Timo]

Unless he overexceeds his ceiling/potential, there is now way he plays 2nd pair in Mtl.

Which is fine IF Habs have legit NHL players in these spots and not Harrises and Barrons.

 

[MonkeyBusiness]

My reservations on term are exactly that- if he takes that next step he’s going to ask for a lot more. And he’s probably looking at becoming a third pair LD.

Would you have preferred a long-term contract? What did you want?

Xhekaj doesn’t seem like the kind of player who will be worth a lot of money in two years. I don’t see a big gamble with this deal. His offense is limited, at best, and he’s inconsistent in general. He also hasn’t even found his niche yet in the NHL.

 

[jaffy27]

Nice contract for both sides…with his health in question, this gives Habs a low cap hit commitment with great upside….if health holds him back, will be an easy contract to absorb, if he excels, great return on the investment. Two years from now when his contract expires, there will be tons of cap room as contracts start expiring.

For Arber, bingo, will make some decent dough and if he can put to bed his health issues, will be staring down a lengthy contract with many millions attached to it…not bad for a non drafted tough guy who was working at Costco not so long ago.

 

[Tyson]

I’d love to imagine that. It’s not his skating that’s the issue. It’s his defensive IQ. And we simply have better defencemen in the system. Do I go back to my original comment- he has a lot of work to to improve that to no longer be a liability. I’d love to see him make that step. But the game is getting away from « role » players and every player in the lineup needs to be better well rounded

I agree that 80's and 90's goon hockey won't come back but intimidation will always be there. Remember when Reaves ragdolled Pezzetta at the Bell Center late last season, that's why Xhekaj is needed.
Let's be honest- Arber Xhekaj will never be a star but he will be a very serviceable bottom pairing Dman whose ability to stand up to the toughest players is vital.

 

[jaffy27]

Great AAV. Mixed feelings about term. His injury history will either be a factor moving forward or it won’t. I believe this keeps him RFA afterwards?

His term or dollars will have no consequences whatsoever on our ability to compete and pay our players who are due for raises or potential UFA’s.

I agree that 80's and 90's goon hockey won't come back but intimidation will always be there. Remember when Reaves ragdolled Pezzetta at the Bell Center late last season, that's why Xhekaj is needed.
Let's be honest- Arber Xhekaj will never be a star but he will be a very serviceable bottom pairing Dman whose ability to stand up to the toughest players is vital.

I share your sentiment….

Not only can he be a tough guy and deterrent but he can actually play and skate and shoot.

He’s exactly what you want from your 5-6D

 

[ChesterNimitz]

I agree that 80's and 90's goon hockey won't come back but intimidation will always be there. Remember when Reaves ragdolled Pezzetta at the Bell Center late last season, that's why Xhekaj is needed.
Let's be honest- Arber Xhekaj will never be a star but he will be a very serviceable bottom pairing Dman whose ability to stand up to the toughest players is vital.

It all depends on what your definition of a star is.

I think Xhekej's skills are underrated. No, he'll never be a Norris Trophy candidate. But this is a large, menacing player who other players will fear playing against, who has quickly become a team leader and can shoot the puck over 100 MPH.

That's a lot of player for $1.3 M per year.

 

[Habs]

Good stuff, i bet 29 other teams would want this kid in their lineup.

 

[donghabs98]

Why would he sign for 5-6 years at 3M/yr?

The league average salary today, on a cap at 83.5M is 3.5M/yr.

In 2 years when the cap is higher, you think he's going to sign for up to 6 years at under the league average?

If that's the case, it will have meant that he was awful over the next 2 years lol


The best thing he can do for his career, is to get away as much as possible, from this tag.

It doesn't mean he won't fight again, but when he will be so valuable on the ice, that they can't afford him sitting in the box for 5 mins because he decided to take on the other teams' face puncher...

That's when he will have taken the next step.

He's got it in him...best thing for him to ignore fans who just want him to fight for their entertainment.

Become so feared and so valuable, that no one wants to even test you.

I agree, fighting was a way to get notice and establish himself in the league. He's done that, now it's about getting better as a player and establishing himself offensively and defensively. He should still fight when needed like stepping up for a teammate or if the team is getting pushed around, but he's moved past the point of needing to seek out or accept useless fights.

 

[417]

I agree, fighting was a way to get notice and establish himself in the league. He's done that, now it's about getting better as a player and establishing himself offensively and defensively. He should still fight when needed like stepping up for a teammate or if the team is getting pushed around, but he's moved past the point of needing to seek out or accept useless fights.

I really think that's what MSL was trying to instill with Xhekaj last year and somehow, it got misconstrued into MSL not being a fan of the player.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Fantastic deal. I see him as part of the team longterm. Really like this guy and what he brings. That's a great deal at 1.3.

 

[Milhouse40]

 

[Nova_Scotia_Vees]

Just glad to see the Sheriff is back! Now to prove his long term worth. Expect a man possessed for the next two years.

exactly , just needs to stay healthy and will dominate.

 

[RC51]

I am really happy for him. from costco to NHL , no matter what 2.6 mil USD even after taxes will net him 2 mil CDN at 25. Also unless he gets hit by a bus will still get a contract at 25 again in USD..
Yes I know he is not bobby ore but I doubt he will ever work for costco again.

 

[sheed36]

 

[Scintillating10]

Real good signing

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818270620918181964

 

[Sorinth]

Little surprised he came in under Harris, figured a bridge deal like this would get him a little bit more then Harris rather then a little bit less.

Anyways it's a fine deal, I still think Xhekaj has a very good chance at being a top-4 D so we are probably going to be looking at a big raise in 2 years but it's never a problem to pay good players what they are worth so I'm not too worried.

 

[26Mats]

300k more than I expected

Now Guhle gets the Suzuki special.

Guhle makes high contributions, when healthy. But I wonder how his cap hit will be affected by his lack of offensive numbers.

 

[Habs10Habs]

First Wifi and Barron. Slow down Hughes, this old bastard can't keep up lol

Solid deal for both sides.

 

[Favster]

Unless he overexceeds his ceiling/potential, there is now way he plays 2nd pair in Mtl.

This is BS. When he returned from the A he was rejuvenated. He needs to find consistency but when he's at his best he's a force out there.

 

[sampollock]

Sheriff keeping the calm on the ice