Definitely as his rep grows he'll have to fight less and he can pick his battles. He really is a diamond in the rough and can actually play hockey not just a goon. I'm sure he's very popular among his teammates. Plus the kid has style
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I meant in terms of his make-up. No one is going to stop Arber from doing what comes to him instinctively, and that alone will wind-up eliminating the "useless" fights. He's already said that he fought everyone last year to make his mark. And now he'll pick his spots. So no worries. Enjoy watching him stand-up for his teammates. It's going to be a lot of fun
Lol. Kassian is literally nobody compares to Lucic if we are talking about fighting.time will tell
He just has the knack for getting it through and it's smart for him to handle the puck as little as possible and be decisive. I think both X and Kovacevic really demonstrate how to be successful within your limits (though X is the more skilled of the two)
Love the way he seals off the left side at our blue line. He's a virtual wall. It's interesting watching opposing right wingers approaching our blue line when Xhekaj is on the ice. There's a lot of dumping it in and chasing. You can also hear the opposing bench yelling warnings. This kid, in less than a year, has already established a fearsome reputation. And it has nothing to do with his supposed fighting prowess. And he's getting better and angrier. And his offensive impact is starting to blossom. Xhekaj is quickly becoming my favorite player to watch. What a pick up. Is there any wonder why other teams are signing up for COSTCO memberships?
Last night when he hit Holtz not one Devil chirped from the bench according to Dave Poulin.
Our PP strategy is to pass around the perimeter, but even then we can't string together more than 3 passes in a row without someone mishandling the puck
The supposed 'tank' is not done by design. Its a direct and predictable result of the current state of the team's talent level. The 2024 draft has excellent talent available among the top 6 to 7 players available. Be comforted in knowing that unless the unexpected occurs, we will be in a position to draft a core player who should be an important, contributing player once the team emerges from the shadow.I dont mind him learning what he can get away with and creating PP chances for opposition, works great for the tank and for his development
Don't be surprised if the Devils pick up some "steel" as the season progresses. They will have to protect the plethora of smallish, highly skilled players that they have. It's a problem that can be easily addressed.
The Devils are the team-embodiment of Tomas Tatar
Teams would line up for the chance to trade for Arber Xhekaj, what he possesses is rare in the new NHL, back in the 80s-90s there were plenty of players like him but not now. He is what I would want as a team captain and that isn't a knock on Suzuki but he is a heart and soul guy who will gain even more respect league-wide once he gets a few years under his belt. If I buy a new Habs jersey it will have Xhekaj on the back, he's my favorite Hab as well.
You're right, there were a lot of tough physical players back 30 years ago. But few had Xhekaj's mobility, offensive flair and shot. If they did, they were playing forward. You're also correct about Xhekaj's market value. After Suzuki and Caufield, I would suggest with his current abilities, projected upside, leadership aura, popularity and low cap cost, Xhekaj is probably our most marketable asset. After last night's game, I suspect the Devils would pay a king's ransom to acquire Xhekaj to protect their bevy of skilled forwards. He is, however, going no-where.
He needs to play much better going forward. He's a penalty machine, he struggles in his own zone, struggles positionally. The good thing is he's young and by playing so much, he'll hopefully figure it out. Love him on the team but he, like many, need to get much better if we as a team want to progress.
Tatar or otherwise, they almost ran (skated) us out of the building last night. With the incredible speed and skill that they can bring, they are going to cause most (all?) teams a lot of trouble going forward. You want to beat them? You'd better get fast. Last night, we committed the first sin in hockey: we got caught slow. Their superior speed showed in every facet of the game. That superior speed is readily acknowledged in the endless expressions of frustration you can read on this board. We got caught slow.
Romanov was worst than him at the beginning.
He does take some penalties but not many of them are the result of bad judgment on his part but more a result of the NHL's game management strategy. It must be confusing for the players to know on any given night what the calls will be like. There are times when the broadcast shows us replays of penalty calls and even they are somewhat surprised about what is called a penalty. He is doing just fine and gets a tougher time from the refs because he is a kid, vets often get away with things that a young player won't.
His positioning leads to his hooking and holding calls. He over-pursues and gets caught sticking a guy. He'll figure it out.
Oh I agree, but we are getting caught slow every game, even against the slow teams
