Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[OldCraig71]

The reason he fought Kassian was because he went after him and Xhekaj decided to send a message.

Not to Kassian, but to the NHL.

He might be young. But he can fight. You don't f*** with him or the team, else there's damage to be done.

Players that play a tough game are a very valuable asset to have on any team and although teams have tried to move away from the enforcer we continue to see instances where it would be good to have that presence. There are many players in the NHL that will take liberties with skilled players but mostly because there is no one on the opposing bench that will take them to task for it. I like having it and especially in the form of a player that actually has the skill to play a solid game and not just be a goon.

 

[Miller Time]

like the player, hate the reality that his career and life will quite likely get derailed by head trauma... he's putting a big target on his back both by his pugilistic impact and his attitude. He's going to be fighting a lot and the inevitable impact of that is... inevitable.

shame because he seems to be a pretty decent hockey player with a great attitude and work ethic, kind of athlete that should have a long and successful career.

hope we get to enjoy him for a few years before the hand/head/shoulder issues start to pile up

 

[Runner77]

Players that play a tough game are a very valuable asset to have on any team and although teams have tried to move away from the enforcer we continue to see instances where it would be good to have that presence. There are many players in the NHL that will take liberties with skilled players but mostly because there is no one on the opposing bench that will take them to task for it. I like having it and especially in the form of a player that actually has the skill to play a solid game and not just be a goon.

As long as it remains a physical game, there will always be players who will try to gain an advantage by using brute force, esp. on skilled players. Hence, you can’t have a team of good guys who follow the rules, you need to have a psycho element so opponents know what’s coming to them if they should cross the line with intent to injure or by acting so recklessly that it’s tantamount to the same.

 

[Picaroon]

Exactly. Just like Lucic did early in his career. He was fighting middleweight and light heavyweight. He didn’t drop them with the top dogs ala Laraque etc. Xhekaj doesn’t have to do it neither.

The heavyweights today like Reaves couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Laraque, Orr, Boogaard who were around when Lucic was young. I'm not really worried about Xhekaj going to toe to toe with anyone. Not saying he is obliged to fight every fighter in the league but at some point he will fight a Reaves or Macdermid and I'm not worried about his ability to handle himself at all. He's a big boy.

 

[OldCraig71]

As long as it remains a physical game, there will always be players who will try to gain an advantage by using brute force, esp. on skilled players. Hence, you can’t have a team of good guys who follow the rules, you need to have a psycho element so opponents know what’s coming to them if they should cross the line with intent to injure or by acting so recklessly that it’s tantamount to the same.

Agreed, come playoff time it is a necessity to have this element on any team, we have Xhekaj and now all we need is the 20-year-old version of Corey Perry.

 

[OldCraig71]

like the player, hate the reality that his career and life will quite likely get derailed by head trauma... he's putting a big target on his back both by his pugilistic impact and his attitude. He's going to be fighting a lot and the inevitable impact of that is... inevitable.

shame because he seems to be a pretty decent hockey player with a great attitude and work ethic, kind of athlete that should have a long and successful career.

hope we get to enjoy him for a few years before the hand/head/shoulder issues start to pile up

I don't think that it is something that he will always have to do. As others have mentioned, he is just making it known that if you take liberties with our guys that you will need to answer for it. I would not want to see him racking up 300 penalty minutes because of fighting majors and I don't think that MSL and management want that for him either because as you said, the potential for injury is great.

 

[Retired]

Yeah that's one of those moments for sure, when he broke that guy's face with aluminum foil on his fist lol, in 2006 vs Colorado if I remember correctly. Souray was one mean, tough sob. Loved him.

Edit: vs Calgary

Souray took a while to mature iirc, his shot and size kept him in at the start there I feel.

 

[Retired]

Georges Laraque on the sick podcast had some pretty insightful thought on Xhekaj as a whole, and as a fighter. He mentioned that Arber is pretty much all offense no defense, which works when you catch someone off guard like he did with Kassian on the first punch, but that style might put him in trouble now that other players know who he is and what he brings. Fun listen.

Mind games.

Also Matheson and Edmunson as a pair in Laval would surely help them have a fighting chance at taking one of these kid’s spot eventually

 

[Runner77]

I don't think that it is something that he will always have to do. As others have mentioned, he is just making it known that if you take liberties with our guys that you will need to answer for it. I would not want to see him racking up 300 penalty minutes because of fighting majors and I don't think that MSL and management want that for him either because as you said, the potential for injury is great.

Jackeye said yesterday that he’d take on anyone who’d challenge him to a fight. I’ll give him a pass on that, I guess it was spoken in the emotion of the moment.

Fighting should not be his first option, nor simply triggered by a simple invitation. He will have to pick his spots.

 

[ZUKI]

like the player, hate the reality that his career and life will quite likely get derailed by head trauma... he's putting a big target on his back both by his pugilistic impact and his attitude. He's going to be fighting a lot and the inevitable impact of that is... inevitable.

shame because he seems to be a pretty decent hockey player with a great attitude and work ethic, kind of athlete that should have a long and successful career.

hope we get to enjoy him for a few years before the hand/head/shoulder issues start to pile up

agree. He's a good player and i like his game but being physical is something, fighting is another. I think that he brings a lot without the fight and i prefer him to be on the ice instead of the penalty box. This without talking about injuries and commotions .

Right now, he seems to enjoy the role. Maybe it should be the right time for a veteran to talk to him

 

[Canadian Finn]

he was a boxer (competitively) before he was a competitive hockey player.

he'll be able to hold his own. He likely has better training than 90% of those in the NHL who try and throw a punch.

In about two or three years there won't be a fool in the NHL dumb enough to take him on.

 

[themilosh]

Players that play a tough game are a very valuable asset to have on any team and although teams have tried to move away from the enforcer we continue to see instances where it would be good to have that presence. There are many players in the NHL that will take liberties with skilled players but mostly because there is no one on the opposing bench that will take them to task for it. I like having it and especially in the form of a player that actually has the skill to play a solid game and not just be a goon.

it's moreso so that Enforcers can't keep up with the game (and take up a spot) that they have been phased out. If a team has one that can play, then that is HUGE - like Tom Wilson, Lucic Prime, etc... hope Arber can keep this up.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

it's moreso so that Enforcers can't keep up with the game (and take up a spot) that they have been phased out. If a team has one that can play, then that is HUGE - like Tom Wilson, Lucic Prime, etc... hope Arber can keep this up.

John Erskine was okay and beat up Lucic

 

[Miller Time]

I don't think that it is something that he will always have to do. As others have mentioned, he is just making it known that if you take liberties with our guys that you will need to answer for it. I would not want to see him racking up 300 penalty minutes because of fighting majors and I don't think that MSL and management want that for him either because as you said, the potential for injury is great.

i hope so... but i also think the combination of his attitude and the reality that there isn't anyone else on the roster that can (or should) drop the gloves, will make him a regular target. In some ways, staying in the NHL lineup as long/much as possible might be the best way to minimize the actual fights he engages in... i suspect that if he heads down to the AHL, he'll be getting challenged nightly by every 2-bit "enforcer" trying to make a good impression in his org.

Hopefully, he drops a few other tough customers as soundly as he dropped Kassian and gains enough of a reputation to reduce the amount "invitations" he'll be seeing in the early going.

 

[jaffy27]

Jackeye said yesterday that he’d take on anyone who’d challenge him to a fight. I’ll give him a pass on that, I guess it was spoken in the emotion of the moment.

Fighting should not be his first option, nor simply triggered by a simple invitation. He will have to pick his spots.

Exactly….Xhekaj should be fighting on his terms now, not anymore else’s.

Most fights have meaning, they serve a purpose to deter or protect. With Reaves though it will be staged.

I’m almost guaranteed a Reaves fight would unleash on the pure principle of dominance….who’s the toughest??

I want Xhekaj to really pick his spot here. If Reaves wants to drop them I’d like to see Arber do it at a beginning of a shift, or in a tie game….just stack the chips on your side X and unleash hell!!!

 

[jaffy27]

I kind of miss Sbah and his posts especially when it comes to young players. I wonder what he would say about Xhekaj? His posts, especially those where he reminisced about hab greats of old often gave me goosebumps. He had to be the most loyal habs fan ever to post on this board. He is truly missed.

What happened to him??

He just disappeared

 

[Runner77]

What happened to him??

He just disappeared

He got toppled by an avalanche of emojis.

Hopefully, he’s doing well. Such is one’s existence on these forums. One day you’re here and on another, one can disappear inexplicably.

 

[Paddy17]

The reason he fought Kassian was because he went after him and Xhekaj decided to send a message.

Not to Kassian, but to the NHL.

He might be young. But he can fight. You don't f*** with him or the team, else there's damage to be done.

I read somewhere that Arber was smiling at him, and Kassian asked him what he was laughing at. Arber said "You!".
Kassian gave him a little shot, then Arber asked him if he wanted to go.
Kassian said "Sure!".

 

[waitin425]

I want Xhekaj to really pick his spot here. If Reaves wants to drop them I’d like to see Arber do it at a beginning of a shift, or in a tie game….just stack the chips on your side X and unleash hell!!!

 

[Runner77]

Several love taps for the gladiator emerging from the box.

 

[Paddy17]

John Erskine was okay and beat up Lucic

Sometimes it's not even a heavyweight you would expect that knocks a guy out. All it takes is one punch. Little Max Domi knocked Kessler out good.

 

[OldCraig71]

What happened to him??

He just disappeared

No one has heard from him but just by reading his posts, one would have to think that he was in his late 70s or even 80s. He might have moved on to the next life/dimension/frequency. I wish him well wherever he is.

 

[OldCraig71]

i hope so... but i also think the combination of his attitude and the reality that there isn't anyone else on the roster that can (or should) drop the gloves, will make him a regular target. In some ways, staying in the NHL lineup as long/much as possible might be the best way to minimize the actual fights he engages in... i suspect that if he heads down to the AHL, he'll be getting challenged nightly by every 2-bit "enforcer" trying to make a good impression in his org.

Hopefully, he drops a few other tough customers as soundly as he dropped Kassian and gains enough of a reputation to reduce the amount "invitations" he'll be seeing in the early going.

He must be running on quite the adrenaline high, never drafted to the NHL and was basically a walk-on for us during last year's training camp, he will simmer down eventually and I hope that is of his own choosing and not because he becomes another version of Mike Komisarek. That guy was all that until he wasn't at the hands of Lucic.

 

[sandviper]

As long as it remains a physical game, there will always be players who will try to gain an advantage by using brute force, esp. on skilled players. Hence, you can’t have a team of good guys who follow the rules, you need to have a psycho element so opponents know what’s coming to them if they should cross the line with intent to injure or by acting so recklessly that it’s tantamount to the same.

All I can say is don’t F*** with a guy who had to fight toilet paper hoarders at Costco.

 

[OldCraig71]

it's moreso so that Enforcers can't keep up with the game (and take up a spot) that they have been phased out. If a team has one that can play, then that is HUGE - like Tom Wilson, Lucic Prime, etc... hope Arber can keep this up.

I agree with you but we see more cheap shots in the game today than we did 5-10 years ago because guys like Kassian and Wilson know that there aren't many players around anymore that can stand up to them. I like that we have AX, he will only get better as a player and so will those around him, simply because he is there.