Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[Nicko999]

be honest, by face to face, you mean face to chin
or face to fist

I am a big guy myself so face to face in the truest sense of the word.

 

[Tyson]

Arizona has a few thugs that I am sure will want to challenge Xhekaj...avoid it unless they run our skill players

 

[Mrb1p]

Rempe has no defense. He's your typical tall, tough guy with a good chin. He eats more shots than pretty much any enforcer in the league. Granted, he's 21, but he'll have to improve his defense and I would bet on Xhekaj winning a bout against him.

I don't know man. The way he handled Dlo, who's to me, the toughest SOB in the league. He's hit the ceiling. I wouldn't want AX to go up against Dlo or anyone that can get Dlos face bruised up.

I walked into Arber about 40 min ago. Came face to face with him as we were walking different directions. He was with his GF (I think) so didn't bother him.

How big is he ? Does he look like a typical slav gangster ? Hows his GF ?

It's about the only time I recall Saku getting his clock cleaned.

I was fuming for sure, but that was also part of the fun of being a fan. I used to get more emotionally invested. Not that today-s hockey sucks.... it's just different.

McClaren and Lindros too.

Mailloux is a better offensive Dman that Xhekaj, but i doubt, Mailloux can beat 107.2, and Xhekaj is usually accurate when he shoots, also Xhekaj's wristy is pretty heavy and accurate too.

Mailloux got to 103 MPH in the London skills game two years ago. He should be over that now with more strength. His wrister is also absolutely deadly, probably goes 95+ mph. His shooting ability is basically the only reason I havent written him off as a bust yet.

 

[Adriatic]

Arizona has a few thugs that I am sure will want to challenge Xhekaj...avoid it unless they run our skill players

That's why you always need a forward that can fight to slot in the lineup from time to time so Xhekaj doesn't have to fight every thug out there.

 

[Tyson]

That's why you always need a forward that can fight to slot in the lineup from time to time so Xhekaj doesn't have to fight every thug out there.

Not sure why Pezzetta never plays.

 

[Rapala]

Mailloux is a better offensive Dman that Xhekaj, but i doubt, Mailloux can beat 107.2, and Xhekaj is usually accurate when he shoots, also Xhekaj's wristy is pretty heavy and accurate too.

Mailloux can't but I'm hoping eventually Florian can.
I was watching some of little Bro's highlights and there were a couple of long camera shots from across the rink.
I could swear I was looking at Arber.
In our Glory days we had the Big M and the Little M.
How fitting a new era of Glory Days would be with a Big X and a Little X.

 

[Mrb1p]

Not sure why Pezzetta never plays.

MSL doesn't like physical play, he'd rather see 12 David Desharnais playing hard but clean because he sees himself in them.

 

[Bacchus1]

You would think Arber’s ceiling is more like 2nd PP unit.

We’re playing 4F. For as much hate as he gets, Matheson is a 60 pts defenseman. He ain’t losing his spot.

Then, Mailloux has a better shot and is a much better puck handler. Don’t see Arber taking his spot.

I didn’t include Huston as I think you could slot him ad one of the 4F and not at the point

I’m not talking about this year. He needs to continue developing. But he has the potential if developed right.

 

[Nicko999]

How big is he ? Does he look like a typical slav gangster ? Hows his GF ?

He was taller than me for sure but not that much. I am 6 ft 2, so I would estimate him being 6ft 3.
No he did not look like the typical Slav gangsta... but that is only because I did not piss him off
GF was without makeup so didn't look like the Instagram pictures.

 

[Rapala]

I walked into Arber about 40 min ago. Came face to face with him as we were walking different directions. He was with his GF (I think) so didn't bother him.

I remember when I ran into Bergevin once heading for the early train at the station near the Bell Center.
I didn't bother him either but only because I didn't want to get apprehended.

 

[Retired]

MSL doesn't like physical play, he'd rather see 12 David Desharnais playing hard but clean because he sees himself in them.

Dunno, heard MSL praise both X and Slaf after games they used their size. I think he hates lazy penalties where you didn’t move your feet and ended up grappling a guy or interfering.

 

[Rapala]

Dunno, heard MSL praise both X and Slaf after games they used their size. I think he hates lazy penalties where you didn’t move your feet and ended up grappling a guy or interfering.

Saving a goal or sending a message preferably a very hard 2 minutes. These are the penalties his coach can stomach.
Fighting should be a last resort and why bother with the nothing teams like Arizona.

 

[Retired]

Saving a goal or sending a message preferably a very hard 2 minutes. These are the penalties his coach can stomach.
Fighting should be a last resort and why bother with the nothing teams like Arizona.

Yeah, picking your moments is a big one. Don’t wake up a sleeping team, don’t be the instigator in a tight game, no useless roughing calls away from the play… Having such a bad pk probably makes the coach a bit parano too I would imagine.

 

[Zilo44]

Mailloux is a better offensive Dman than Xhekaj, but i doubt, Mailloux can beat 107.2, and Xhekaj is usually accurate when he shoots, also Xhekaj's wristy is pretty heavy and accurate too.

Being a good PP QB is more than having a bomb for the point.

I doubt Xhekaj has the hands to be the QB, whereas Mailloux is much more skilled despite having a slightly lesser shot

 

[Number 57]

I mentioned this a few weeks back. He reminds me of a tougher, less offensive Souray. Would rather him play solid D and chip in 25-30 points or so a year. If he has to fight, he can. Like big bird.

I was gonna post this. The guy is a Souray clone

Souray was just as tough as Xhekaj is, if not more. He was an absolute beast.

''Less offensive'' yes and no. For the older guys out there, you would remember Souray had one heck of a one-timer/slap shot, but not much offensive vision or skills. I think Xhekaj is more skilled, but will score less. Souray was a bit of a ''one-trick pony'' so to speak

Souray was the first in a long line of one-timer PP beasts in Montreal, like Schneider, Streit, Subban, Wisniewski, Weber

 

[JianYang]

Was it Louis sleigher??

Yes that's it

 

[1909]

MSL doesn't like physical play, he'd rather see 12 David Desharnais playing hard but clean because he sees himself in them.

12 Cole Caufield, you mean.

 

[Beendair Donedat]

Hansel.

So hot right now.

 

[Canadienna]

I walked into Arber about 40 min ago. Came face to face with him

You walked right into him? How do you miss a guy his size?

Also how tall are you to be face to face with X?

 

[Beendair Donedat]

That was so bizarre. Stastny got kicked out. I'm not sure he deserved to be considering the other stuff that was happening, but that was a big break for montreal.

And I forgot who that guy was that suckered the Habs player (Hamel?). That was so dirty and scary.

I also can't believe that pre-game brawl against the flyers. Nilan had to take on a shirtless Dave brown. That's gotta be terrifying even for knuckles.

Louis Sleigher. Filthy cheap sucker punch that ended the period off with a brawl, and they started the next period right back up brawling. Habs were rightfully pissed and a combination of Mark Hunter, Mario Tremblay and Larry Robinson tried to get at him (*if my memory serves correctly) but weren’t able to get him. Poor Hamel never played again.

That no good bastard Sleigher also ran over Patrick Roy once, really cheap into the net, and Big Bird went right after him and landed a couple of decent shots.

The Flyers brawl was started by, of all people, super rodent Claude Lemieux. Rookies Lemieux and Corson were staying late after the warmups were over and shooting pucks into the Flyers net. Eddie “Boxcar” Hospodar was a tough journeyman defenseman that hadn’t been playing much and decided he’d had enough and went after Lemieux who of course immediately turtled. I was pretty shocked that Corson didn’t fight, as he had literally fought his way on to the team in training camp by beating Habs heavyweight John Kordic and playing very well but he let himself be held at bay by the Flyers backup goalie. Name escapes me at the moment but I think it was Chico Resch? Anyways the Flyers started piling out of the dressing room so the Habs did likewise, and poor Chris Nilan has the daunting task of taking on arguably the second best NHL heavyweight of all time in Dave Brown - and Brown came out without his sweater on!! Knuckles did really well, despite giving up a huge difference and not having a jersey to grab. The rest was mostly pairing off with little action, Mike McPhee was involved with someone and I believe that Larry Robinson broke Don Nachbaur’s nose with a vicious quick right hand. It was quite a spectacle at the time.

 

[Sorinth]

Being a good PP QB is more than having a bomb for the point.

I doubt Xhekaj has the hands to be the QB, whereas Mailloux is much more skilled despite having a slightly lesser shot

The QB doesn't have to be the D though, we've already pretty much moved on from Matheson being the QB from the point towards a PP where the QB is along the half wall (Usually Suzuki but switches with Caufield). Matheson is there as a threat to take the shot but will mostly just move the puck to either half-wall position.

I think Matheson has produced enough that it's fine for him to be there on the PP over Xhekaj, but let's not pretend like Xhekaj isn't skilled enough to be there, he most certainly has the hands and shot to be the guy on the point.

 

[JianYang]

Louis Sleigher. Filthy cheap sucker punch that ended the period off with a brawl, and they started the next period right back up brawling. Habs were rightfully pissed and a combination of Mark Hunter, Mario Tremblay and Larry Robinson tried to get at him (*if my memory serves correctly) but weren’t able to get him. Poor Hamel never played again.

That no good bastard Sleigher also ran over Patrick Roy once, really cheap into the net, and Big Bird went right after him and landed a couple of decent shots.

The Flyers brawl was started by, of all people, super rodent Claude Lemieux. Rookies Lemieux and Corson were staying late after the warmups were over and shooting pucks into the Flyers net. Eddie “Boxcar” Hospodar was a tough journeyman defenseman that hadn’t been playing much and decided he’d had enough and went after Lemieux who of course immediately turtled. I was pretty shocked that Corson didn’t fight, as he had literally fought his way on to the team in training camp by beating Habs heavyweight John Kordic and playing very well but he let himself be held at bay by the Flyers backup goalie. Name escapes me at the moment but I think it was Chico Resch? Anyways the Flyers started piling out of the dressing room so the Habs did likewise, and poor Chris Nilan has the daunting task of taking on arguably the second best NHL heavyweight of all time in Dave Brown - and Brown came out without his sweater on!! Knuckles did really well, despite giving up a huge difference and not having a jersey to grab. The rest was mostly pairing off with little action, Mike McPhee was involved with someone and I believe that Larry Robinson broke Don Nachbaur’s nose with a vicious quick right hand. It was quite a spectacle at the time.

Keenan said that when he heard about what was happening on ice, he immediately locked hextall inside the equipment room and didn't let him out. I can imagine hextall was basically an angry caged animal inside that room.

 

[nilan30]

I was gonna post this. The guy is a Souray clone

Souray was just as tough as Xhekaj is, if not more. He was an absolute beast.

''Less offensive'' yes and no. For the older guys out there, you would remember Souray had one heck of a one-timer/slap shot, but not much offensive vision or skills. I think Xhekaj is more skilled, but will score less. Souray was a bit of a ''one-trick pony'' so to speak

Souray was the first in a long line of one-timer PP beasts in Montreal, like Schneider, Streit, Subban, Wisniewski, Weber

Also Marc Andre Bergeron

 

[JT3]

I was really impressed with Arber tonight. I think you're seeing him apply what he's being taught. Compared to a few months ago he's a lot steadier in his own zone, he's not chasing the big hit and big play so much and timing things better while still being a force physically.

Even more importantly than that, I think he's flashing a lot more skill than most people believed him to have had. He made a couple really slick plays offensively flashing his hands and shot, one being that rush in the 2nd period, and I think there was another time or two where he showed quick hands to get shots off.

I just think there is too much there to top out as a top 6 d-man, and if he does he's gonna be a damn good one.

 

[rickthegoon]

I have to admit I really really like having Xhekaj on our team, instead of playing against us.
What would make me a happy camper, is seeing him developp into a modern day Chris Pronger.
I think all the tools and physical attributes and attitude are already there.
He has to be part of this team for a long time.
If by accident the « project « fails, it’s gonna be on the coaching staff.