Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[Redux91]

He's really settling into a second pair role now. His discipline is miles better, he's picking his spots well and not chasing the play around the D zone.

Last night he was throwing around the likes of Duhaime, Cogliano and even Rantanen. Not sure if anyone else noticed, but with 10 minutes to go in the 3rd the puck was rimmed down the boards into the Habs zone. Both Xhekaj and Mackinnon were chasing after it, and Mackinnon hit the brakes to avoid engaging Xhekaj. Made me chuckle.

Even his 'penalty' for being a 6"4 230 monster clearing the front of the net and the other guy being too weak and falling 'apppearing' to get crosschecked because 'surely' no NHLer can ever fall to the ground unless something illegal happened,
Wasn't even that bad lol

 

[OldCraig71]

He looks like an 18-wheeler running over a Tesla out there and look out when this team takes the next step to playoff hockey, he will be a nightmare to play against.

 

[Tyson]

He looks like an 18-wheeler running over a Tesla out there and look out when this team takes the next step to playoff hockey, he will be a nightmare to play against.

There isn't a GM who would not want this player.

I wonder how many GM's had the conversation with their scouts- "how did this player not get considered by you guys"?

 

[Redux91]

There isn't a GM who would not want this player.

I wonder how many GM's had the conversation with their scouts- "how did this player not get considered by you guys"?

They not only DID have those convos as confirmed by a report

But they are veeeeery lucky all their answers were "uh.. uh... because pandemic!... phew.."

The pandemic gave us Arber and Roy
And I make 0 apologies for it lol

 

[OldCraig71]

There isn't a GM who would not want this player.

I wonder how many GM's had the conversation with their scouts- "how did this player not get considered by you guys"?

He came from a blue-collar working-class family without the financial means to enroll him in the best hockey schools and have connections with the most influential people. I wonder how much that played a part in him being overlooked.

 

[Tyson]

He came from a blue-collar working-class family without the financial means to enroll him in the best hockey schools and have connections with the most influential people. I wonder how much that played a part in him being overlooked.

That family came from nothing and built a special group. Seeing mom changing tires is something I respect and relate to

 

[overlords]

He looks like an 18-wheeler running over a Tesla out there and look out when this team takes the next step to playoff hockey, he will be a nightmare to play against.

he bumped rantanen near the boards as if he was a child at one point last night

 

[OldCraig71]

That family came from nothing and built a special group. Seeing mom changing tires is something I respect and relate to

I loved the story on his family and although there have been wisecracks thrown at him and his family for the Costco jobs, it makes me love them even more; now his brother is on the way. Simona and Jack won't let those boys forget the sacrifices that got them there. We hit the jackpot when we got the Xhekaj brothers, I truly believe that.

 

[Sagikev]

We hit the jackpot when we got the Xhekaj brothers, I truly believe that.

Just like the Kostitsyn brothers

 

[Zilo44]

I loved the story on his family and although there have been wisecracks thrown at him and his family for the Costco jobs, it makes me love them even more; now his brother is on the way. Simona and Jack won't let those boys forget the sacrifices that got them there. We hit the jackpot when we got the Xhekaj brothers, I truly believe that.

Yeah gotta love that blue collar mindset

 

[morhilane]

He came from a blue-collar working-class family without the financial means to enroll him in the best hockey schools and have connections with the most influential people. I wonder how much that played a part in him being overlooked.

Xhekaj was small and the 6-7th D on his team in his draft year. He didn't play enough for scouts to look at him. He had more TOI the next shortened season, but didn't grow/bulk up until the cancelled OHL season. Had Covid not happened, he might have been drafted as an overager.

 

[Andrei79]

I loved the story on his family and although there have been wisecracks thrown at him and his family for the Costco jobs, it makes me love them even more; now his brother is on the way. Simona and Jack won't let those boys forget the sacrifices that got them there. We hit the jackpot when we got the Xhekaj brothers, I truly believe that.

Yep.

This in a league where parents built actual private arenas for their kids, bought whole leagues so they could get ice time and some spent 500k on these NHLers.

Tough to feel anything in common with most of these players.

 

[OldCraig71]

Yep.

This in a league where parents built actual private arenas for their kids, bought whole leagues so they could get ice time and some spent 500k on these NHLers.

Tough to feel anything in common with most of these players.

I read about Patrick Kane and how his father spent big money for exclusive hockey schools, Carey Prices father bought a plane but Zach Hyman's father upped everyone lol. I never liked Marc Bergevin as a GM but the move to invite Arber to camp and later sign him was one of his best moves as GM. AX won't be a top pairing D but he is a valuable player. I noticed the respect he was given by Mackinnon late in the game on Tuesday when the puck went behind our net, Mack saw him coming and he held up.

 

[YukonCornelius 5thOA]

he bumped rantanen near the boards as if he was a child at one point last night

I said he made Rantanen look like Sam Girard on that play.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

I read about Patrick Kane and how his father spent big money for exclusive hockey schools, Carey Prices father bought a plane but Zach Hyman's father upped everyone lol. I never liked Marc Bergevin as a GM but the move to invite Arber to camp and later sign him was one of his best moves as GM. AX won't be a top pairing D but he is a valuable player. I noticed the respect he was given by Mackinnon late in the game on Tuesday when the puck went behind our net, Mack saw him coming and he held up.

A great player. Great and apparently very wise.

Such is Xhekaj's growing reputation across the league.

 

[Rapala]

They not only DID have those convos as confirmed by a report

But they are veeeeery lucky all their answers were "uh.. uh... because pandemic!... phew.."

The pandemic gave us Arber and Roy
And I make 0 apologies for it lol

It also gave us an Arturri Lehkonen game 6 OT winner against The Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Winning the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl was the greatest single moment in Habs history since 1993.

I want to hear their excuses about Florian in about two years.

 

[Rapala]

I read about Patrick Kane and how his father spent big money for exclusive hockey schools, Carey Prices father bought a plane but Zach Hyman's father upped everyone lol. I never liked Marc Bergevin as a GM but the move to invite Arber to camp and later sign him was one of his best moves as GM. AX won't be a top pairing D but he is a valuable player. I noticed the respect he was given by Mackinnon late in the game on Tuesday when the puck went behind our net, Mack saw him coming and he held up.

Players putting the breaks on around Arber has been putting a huge grin on my mug for a while now.
Sooner or later we are going to have a super talented RD paired up with him.
One who can deal a little better with the re-routed traffic than David Savard.
Arber Xhekaj does not look like a top pairing Dman on his own but with the right pairing anything is possible.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

They not only DID have those convos as confirmed by a report

But they are veeeeery lucky all their answers were "uh.. uh... because pandemic!... phew.."

The pandemic gave us Arber and Roy
And I make 0 apologies for it lol

I still remember watching Xhekaj in the pre-season before he signed. By the size of him, the way he looked and his last name I thought he was just a veteran in mid-late twenties from Europe who we gave a tryout to lol. I was stunned when I saw he was only 20 and undrafted and was very happy they got him signed.

 

[Rapala]

I loved the story on his family and although there have been wisecracks thrown at him and his family for the Costco jobs, it makes me love them even more; now his brother is on the way. Simona and Jack won't let those boys forget the sacrifices that got them there. We hit the jackpot when we got the Xhekaj brothers, I truly believe that.

My favorite story this season was when both boys wanted to and did score for their Dad on Kosovo Independence Day.
Florian's game was a day earlier but he set the stage for Arber on Feb 17th 2024 against Washington.
When looking at hockey players it's always a good idea to look at the family dynamic.
We've had far too many misses that could have been avoided if we'd paid more attention to this.

 

[Canadiens98]

He's an RFA at the end of the season, anyone have any idea as to what we should expect that next contract to look like? More likely we sign him to a 2-4 year deal or do we think 5+ is more likely?

 

[WeThreeKings]

He's an RFA at the end of the season, anyone have any idea as to what we should expect that next contract to look like? More likely we sign him to a 2-4 year deal or do we think 5+ is more likely?

I would say that it will be a 2-4 year deal. I don't think he's quite in the Guhle, Slafkovsky, Caufield, Suzuki realm.

More in the Dach/Newhook realm where we know we want you part of the future but things aren't solidified to the point that both sides want to commit term.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

I expect a bridge contract, something like 2 years at 1.75-2M a year.

That being said, given his style of play and how players that play such a rugged style of play rarely age well, wouldn't it be smart to give him 6-8 years at 3-3.5 AAV? It's definitely a gamble but at least you don't run into the risk of possibly having him have negative value due to his play deteriorating (e.g. him signing a long term deal in the 5M range but contract finishing around same as option A).

 

[HuGort]

He's an RFA at the end of the season, anyone have any idea as to what we should expect that next contract to look like? More likely we sign him to a 2-4 year deal or do we think 5+ is more likely?

2years - 5 million?

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Hughes has to offer a longterm deal. There are times to gamble and this is one of em.

 

[Tyson]

Harris got a 2 year bridge at 1.4 per season. Which direction should Hughes go with Xhekaj?