Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[HuGo Sham]

What about Gaston Gingras? I remember as a kid, people were scared to watch behind the net (above glass level) when there were no nets.. this guy happy gilmored every shot at spectators.. lol

gingras was as soft as they came. kleenex with aloe soft - for a defenceman

 

[yianik]

What about Gaston Gingras? I remember as a kid, people were scared to watch behind the net (above glass level) when there were no nets.. this guy happy gilmored every shot at spectators.. lol

Slap Shot movie worthy. O aim, just fired it as hard as he could, and it was a hard shot. Players bailed from in front of the net trying to save themselves.

 

[Habssince89]

Ben Chiarot at his best lol

The problem was we played Ben as LD1 when he needed to be LD3, which is what Xhekaj will be and we'll be better for it

People will scoff at the Ben comparison and that's fine lol, I loved Big Ben, other than his hair-ripping ICINGS that drove us mad, he was pretty good for us
And Arber doesn't ice it, he actually can transition a bit

Big Ben was awesome, and IMO the window of time where he first started playing with Weber, when Weber was more mobile and Chiarot didn't have to cover for him, they were a beast of a pairing and I think Chiarot is a better player than most give him credit for. Once Weber started to decline, they should've broken the pairing up.

 

[Rapala]

I think his new nickname should be Xhekhammer.

Except it would have to be spelled like this...
Kajhammer

 

[Sterling Archer]

Except it would have to be spelled like this...
Kajhammer

That’d be pronounced Kai-Hammer.

 

[Rapala]

That’d be pronounced Kai-Hammer.

No it wouldn't
Not when Jack Eye is spelled Xhekaj

 

[Doc McKenna]

Montreal Canadiens: Arber Xhekaj Developing Shooter's Mentality With Laval

In one powerplay sequence, Montreal Canadiens fan favourite Arber Xhekaj had three shots during a Laval Rocket powerplay.

awinninghabit.com

In one powerplay sequence, Montreal Canadiens fan favourite Arber Xhekaj had three shots during a Laval Rocket powerplay. Xhekaj seems to be almost automatic, if he gets the puck at the blueline, he doesn’t hesitate to shoot. Marc Bergevin has been criticized, but without his handy work, the Rocket top defence pair doesn’t exist. Bergevin signed Xhekaj and he drafted the disgruntled Logan Mailloux. Anyways, back to Xhekaj - his freakish physical traits are still a staple of his game. But his potential growing to a top-four defenseman for the Canadiens is impressive. Xhekaj seemed to be a bottom-pairing shutdown defender, but he is proving to be so much more.


Still don't care about the blind squirrel bargainbin, but arber is a great add.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Except it would have to be spelled like this...
Kajhammer

No it wouldn't
Not when Jack Eye is spelled Xhekaj

Bro, Xhekaj phonetically is Xhek(Jack) - Aj(Eye).

So Jack-hammer would be Xhek-hammer.

 

[Rapala]

Bro, Xhekaj phonetically is Xhek(Jack) - Aj(Eye).

So Jack-hammer would be Xhek-hammer.

Try reading it from right to left jak- (jak) ehx-(eye) talking about phonetics.
I simply thought it was one of those languages that reads right to left.

 

[themilosh]

Slap Shot movie worthy. O aim, just fired it as hard as he could, and it was a hard shot. Players bailed from in front of the net trying to save themselves.

I honestly think of Happy Gilmour when Gaston was on. No short game -- long bomb, 12% accuracy.

 

[Heffyhoof]

I actually think he along with the veteran goalie have been key components in helping stabilize Laval. Both Xhekaj and the team seem to be benefiting. That said, can we please bring him up for Tuesday so he can bully Brady all game long?

 

[Scriptor]

Montreal Canadiens: Arber Xhekaj Developing Shooter's Mentality With Laval

In one powerplay sequence, Montreal Canadiens fan favourite Arber Xhekaj had three shots during a Laval Rocket powerplay.

awinninghabit.com

In one powerplay sequence, Montreal Canadiens fan favourite Arber Xhekaj had three shots during a Laval Rocket powerplay. Xhekaj seems to be almost automatic, if he gets the puck at the blueline, he doesn’t hesitate to shoot. Marc Bergevin has been criticized, but without his handy work, the Rocket top defence pair doesn’t exist. Bergevin signed Xhekaj and he drafted the disgruntled Logan Mailloux. Anyways, back to Xhekaj - his freakish physical traits are still a staple of his game. But his potential growing to a top-four defenseman for the Canadiens is impressive. Xhekaj seemed to be a bottom-pairing shutdown defender, but he is proving to be so much more.


Still don't care about the blind squirrel bargainbin, but arber is a great add.

"Xhekaj seemed to be a bottom-pairing shutdown defender..."

In fact, no, he wasn't. I have never seen 'shutdown D' attributed to Xhekaj, of whom there wa some concern about his defensive acumen.

Xhekaj was considered a physical D with heavyweight pugilistic skills. He was known to be a good skater -- for his size -- and to have a strong shot from the point that he could get on net.

 

[HuGort]

Per Elliotte Friedman teams calling #Habs about Arber Xhekaj & the answer is NO!

 

[yianik]

I honestly think of Happy Gilmour when Gaston was on. No short game -- long bomb, 12% accuracy.

It's a good analogy. And Gingras never improved it or changed in any way. He was Happy to just let it fly. I can't remember what the announcers would say but it added to the laughs as I recall.

 

[OldCraig71]

Per Elliotte Friedman teams calling #Habs about Arber Xhekaj & the answer is NO!

" We wont trade him because he's great in the minors"

 

[HuGort]

" We wont trade him because he's great in the minors"

Because Hughes thinks his value will increase. Can't get top dollar for minor leaguer

 

[Levard]

Barron , Harris , are not better than him and by far.. and I will even say that Struble is very vanilla too..

Let The Sheriff get better in the AHL.. while they figure out who is really worth it up there.

So many young Ds coming up .. Will be fun to see how Kent evalutate and do his job about this.

 

[OldCraig71]

Because Hughes thinks his value will increase. Can't get top dollar for minor leaguer

If they trade Arber Xhekaj it will be a tough pill for me to swallow. I'm not saying that any player can't be traded for the right price but he has something that is in great demand in the league, talent, heart, size, and toughness. You don't give that away.

 

[Habs]

If they trade Arber Xhekaj it will be a tough pill for me to swallow. I'm not saying that any player can't be traded for the right price but he has something that is in great demand in the league, talent, heart, size, and toughness. You don't give that away.

Me too , you will be rid of me if they trade him for another docile little doofus

 

[Tyson]

If they trade Arber Xhekaj it will be a tough pill for me to swallow. I'm not saying that any player can't be traded for the right price but he has something that is in great demand in the league, talent, heart, size, and toughness. You don't give that away.

I agree, this would be a tough one to accept for me as well. When he gets recalled watch the ovation he gets at his first game back. Hab fans love warriors like this.

 

[Habs]

I agree, this would be a tough one to accept for me as well. When he gets recalled watch the ovation he gets at his first game back. Hab fans love warriors like this.

That’s why I like Anderson and pez too, they will stick up for a teammate.

 

[Miller Time]

If they trade Arber Xhekaj it will be a tough pill for me to swallow. I'm not saying that any player can't be traded for the right price but he has something that is in great demand in the league, talent, heart, size, and toughness. You don't give that away.

I'd be surprised if he gets moved. The AHL assignment appears to be a concerted effort to help him round out his game, presumably to help him lock down an NHL roster spot on a team with highly competitive D depth taking shape...

because there's little doubt imo that he'd be in Montreal if the priority focus was getting to a wild card spot this year.

 

[HuGo Sham]

also, and i could be off here, why draft Florian to trade Arber?

 

[the valiant effort]

also, and i could be off here, why draft Florian to trade Arber?

To continue flexing their disdain for the fans that pay their wages (or something)

 

[OldCraig71]

I'd be surprised if he gets moved. The AHL assignment appears to be a concerted effort to help him round out his game, presumably to help him lock down an NHL roster spot on a team with highly competitive D depth taking shape...

because there's little doubt imo that he'd be in Montreal if the priority focus was getting to a wild card spot this year.

I hope you are right but sooner or later there will need to be trades made to move some of our D but it remains to be seen who that will be. If it isn't AX that gets moved it will probably be Harris or Barron or probably both. Kovacevic wasn't drafted by the Habs but is a solid depth defenceman that some team might want at the deadline. Maybe Arber will stay in Laval until the TDL.