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Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

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It's hard not to see the parallels with Souray, minus the canon one timer. Both developed an offensive game late but kept the bruiser approach as well. I'd even say Xhekaj is more of a natural with the puck and a better all around skater than Souray ever was. Xhekaj is much ahead of where Souray was at 21 so he might even surpass him as a player down the road, when all is said and done.
 
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salbutera said:
Fergie was a power forward for those Habs teams and important element that was better utilized in the ice than penalty box.

Nilan was a clutch & grabber waiting patiently to get his 1-2 shots in, Kordic was all out finish the fight in a 1-minute sprint, no defense all out attack offense young Mike Tyson approach.
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Fergie was a BAD MAN, and I mean that in the most complementary way!!!!

Pompeius Magnus said:
It's hard not to see the parallels with Souray, minus the canon one timer. Both developed an offensive game late but kept the bruiser approach as well. I'd even say Xhekaj is more of a natural with the puck and a better all around skater than Souray ever was. Xhekaj is much ahead of where Souray was at 21 so he might even surpass him as a player down the road, when all is said and done.
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Move aside and let the man go through, let the man go through! Speedily becoming my favorite Hab!!!!
 
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Sheldon Souray was truly awesome. One of my absolute favorites from the post-2000 era, after Markov and Kovalev.

Arber Xhekaj is already becoming my new favorite. Let the man play with the team right away and make his reputation around the league all year long, taking on all-comers. Then no one will want to fight him anymore, or rarely, like it was with Robinson.

As it is, with what he's showing, he should have been drafted in the Top 10 of his draft class. You need players like him to succeed.
 
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BenchBrawl said:
Sheldon Souray was truly awesome. One of my absolute favorites from the post-2000 era, after Markov and Kovalev.

Xhekaj is already becoming my new favorite. Let the man play with the team right away and make his reputation around the league all year long, taking on all-comers. Then no one will want to fight him anymore, or rarely, like it was with Robinson.
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Id be careful with all comers, there are still a few beasts left.
 
Perrah said:
Id be careful with all comers, there are still a few beasts left.
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He will still take them. Maybe he will lose, but he doesn't strike me as a man who will back down from any fight at this point. Losing isn't the end of the world, as long as they respect you.

The memories from Costco must be fresh in his mind. The goons around the league have been winning big cash for a while. Xhekaj must be hungry and determined as all hell to establish himself at the NHL level, not only as a fighter but also player.
 
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Hughesy and Gorts said:
The only major issue I have with Logan is his hockey IQ. It really sucks he's missed so much time over the past couple years. It may take a little longer to get his brain in sync with his talent.
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His hockey IQ sucks? Or he just lacks today’s standards of system play ??

To me his IQ is awesome he just needs time to adjust to what his coaches are going to ask of him and if he can follow through.
 
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MasterD said:
I'm not as high on Xhekaj as many here, and I'll admit on a bad night he's better than Tinordi on his best nights. Incredible how he wasn't drafted.

I'm a bit worried that he jumps from the OHL to the NHL and then just stagnates like Cale Fleury did a few years ago, but at this point we need his presence.
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We’ve got NO ONE to protect our boys other than Arber.. sad..

Mathewson may step up and I’m sure Guhle is no slouch either but we have to many softies we need arber and we also need another forward who has strength
 
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gillings said:
We’ve got NO ONE to protect our boys other than Arber.. sad..

Mathewson may step up and I’m sure Guhle is no slouch either but we have to many softies we need arber and we also need another forward who has strength
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Edmundson can do that job, when he returns. Ghule and Matheson can deal. Pezzetta can do it as a pocket knife version by picking his spots.
 
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gillings said:
We’ve got NO ONE to protect our boys other than Arber.. sad..

Mathewson may step up and I’m sure Guhle is no slouch either but we have to many softies we need arber and we also need another forward who has strength
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From emphasizing NO ONE to naming 2 right after is quite the magic act you just performed there.
 
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It looks like DJ Smith added some fuel to the fire a bit with his comments after the game.
The next game could be very chippy with thugs like Sabourin dressed specifically to fight someone.
Players like Sabourin have no NHL skills and it is embarrassing for the league when talentless thugs roam the ice.
 
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Pompeius Magnus said:
It's hard not to see the parallels with Souray, minus the canon one timer. Both developed an offensive game late but kept the bruiser approach as well. I'd even say Xhekaj is more of a natural with the puck and a better all around skater than Souray ever was. Xhekaj is much ahead of where Souray was at 21 so he might even surpass him as a player down the road, when all is said and done.
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Souray had a cannon, but he could also score off the rush. That part of his game gets overshadowed because of his cannon. Souray did have a certain presence though, and in that sense, arber could be similar.

I've barely watched the Habs camp this year, but in the past camp, arber's playing style sort of reminded me of an edgier chiarot.
 
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gillings said:
We’ve got NO ONE to protect our boys other than Arber.. sad..

Mathewson may step up and I’m sure Guhle is no slouch either but we have to many softies we need arber and we also need another forward who has strength
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Guhle invited Logan Stanley to fight in the game against the Jets (for his punches against Dach). Stanley ran off with his tail between his legs. It's not like he didn't try.
 
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Tyson said:
It looks like DJ Smith added some fuel to the fire a bit with his comments after the game.
The next game could be very chippy with thugs like Sabourin dressed specifically to fight someone.
Players like Sabourin have no NHL skills and it is embarrassing for the league when talentless thugs roam the ice.
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What can the Habs do? I’d hate to see Sabourin pick on a player who can’t stand up to him.
 
I like what i've seen from him so far...perhaps an area he needs to work on is his awareness.

He gets casual when carrying the puck, he's gotten the puck stripped from behind a few times.

in the NHL, back pressure is constant, once you beat someone you can't assume they're done.

That will come with time though, huge growth in this player the last 12-18 months.
 
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Junohockeyfan said:
Sabourin can't even throw with his damaged wrist. The Sens have no answer to Xhekaj. None.
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I would like to see Xhekaj go after Kastelic. It pissed me off how Kastelic jumped Xhekaj without warning near the end of Xhekaj's shift.
Kastelic can't handle Pezzetta straight up and he needs to face Xhekaj the right way.
 
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Tyson said:
I would like to see Xhekaj go after Kastelic. It pissed me off how Kastelic jumped Xhekaj without warning near the end of Xhekaj's shift.
Kastelic can't handle Pezzetta straight up and he needs to face Xhekaj the right way.
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I would like to see Xhekaj play hockey and defend his teammates when needed. The real draw with Xhekaj is that he can legitimately play D and is improving at a rapid pace. The bonus is that he deters the opposition from taking liberties.

He doesn't need to go after anyone or prove himself by dropping the gloves. He only needs to defend his teammates when needed.
 
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Fainting Couch said:
From emphasizing NO ONE to naming 2 right after is quite the magic act you just performed there.
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Let’s be really Matheson and whoever else I named aren’t fighter or tough guys. Ed my son is broken and oezzetta is actually weaker than I would have hoped for. We might have a couple guys willing to stick up for our teammates but no one but arber to actually enforce it.
 
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