Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[Matthew McConaughay]

 

[Team_Spirit]

Arber fever is real

 

[Skip Bayless]

It's easy to forget that he's only a 21 year old rookie. He has such an impact already. and he's such a unique player.

I wish all of the kids we drafted got summer jobs at Costco.

 

[Kojo]

It's easy to forget that he's only a 21 year old rookie. He has such an impact already. and he's such a unique player.

I wish all of the kids we drafted got summer jobs at Costco.

Not everyone can be a Costco best employee of the month as often as Xhekaj. He's in a league of his own.

 

[The Great Weal]

On pace for 23 points at 15 minutes a game. He's already a bottom pairing dman but he can clearly become even more. Give me an Erik Cernak with more offense and I'll be doing backflips naked.

 

[Tyson]

Such a great story.
The kid is a keeper and who knows how good he will become....

 

[rik schau]

On pace for 23 points at 15 minutes a game. He's already a bottom pairing dman but he can clearly become even more. Give me an Erik Cernak with more offense and I'll be doing backflips naked.

Hope you're practicing! Just give me a heads up so I can be ''busy'' when you post it.lol

 

[Retired]

Guy Boucher with an interesting take today he wants 2 Def on PP2 so you don’t defend tired against the player jumping on and only one D. Does not care for pp1; 5 forwards or anything is fine…

I would take that to make a case to pair Xhekaj and Matheson when he comes back and hop them on for pp2. He also said in his opinion Guhle is eating too many big minutes for pp right now.

edit - or is Matheson supposed to pair with Guhle Leaving Xhekaj with Eddy?

 

[OldCraig71]

Just wait until this team becomes playoff caliber, then we will really see the value of Xhekaj.

 

[cphabs]

His composure and success while playing “his” game? Is fantastic. Sky is the limit IMO. This kid is nobodies fool. Love it!

 

[V13]

The more i watch him the more i think he could become some sort of offshoot of Sheldon Souray or a player in that mold. Much like Souray there is certainly some hidden offensive potential to his game. Took a while for Souray to truly explode offensively at the NHL level and i think the same could happen with Xhekaj. Both guys also share quite a few traits (big , tough , good fighters , decent mobility , solid shot from the point etc)

Not i'm not saying Xhekaj will score 25 goals at the NHL level. But i do feel the potential for 30-35-40pts could be there somewhere.

 

[yianik]

Man when Wifi hits a bump it will be magnified by 10. Everybody loves the guy, me included, but the projections are getting carried away. I mean project away, be excited, its a semi free country and all, but usually it means when things turn, the crush becomes a crash.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

I sure am happy that Xhekaj is with us and not the Bruins, imagine if the bruins would have draft him first lol, i have to admit, he would have been perfect for the Bruins.

 

[Ezpz]

His jfresh model has him at 0% on ice impact because he takes significantly more penalties than he draws. Kind of shows the flaw in jfresh's model.

 

[OldCraig71]

I sure am happy that Xhekaj is with us and not the Bruins, imagine if the bruins would have draft him first lol, i have to admit, he would have been perfect for the Bruins.

He is very similar to former Bruin Adam Mcquaid.

 

[Deebs]

The more i watch him the more i think he could become some sort of offshoot of Sheldon Souray or a player in that mold. Much like Souray there is certainly some hidden offensive potential to his game. Took a while for Souray to truly explode offensively at the NHL level and i think the same could happen with Xhekaj. Both guys also share quite a few traits (big , tough , good fighters , decent mobility , solid shot from the point etc)

Not i'm not saying Xhekaj will score 25 goals at the NHL level. But i do feel the potential for 30-35-40pts could be there somewhere.

I don't see him as a 40 pts defenseman ever in his career but a solid 3rd pairing guy that kills penalties, who can move up in a pinch.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

He is very similar to former Bruin Adam Mcquaid.

Not so much imo.....McQuaid was slow with hands and feet of stone.

They are both 6'4" and play physical but that is where the comparisons end. McQauid had zero offensive ability, just a stay at home dman whereas Xhekaj is a much better skater with far superior puck skills. Arber is also considerably heavier, stronger, meaner and a better fighter.......Once he learns to defend positionally as well as McQuaid he will be quite literally better in every facet of the game.

Arber reminds me much more of a smaller but meaner version of Byfuglien. He can hit like a truck, rush the puck, shoot missiles, handle the puck and fight. Big Buff brought a similar energy to the rink where every player, official and fan knew when he was on the ice and where he was on the ice.

I don't see him as a 40 pts defenseman ever in his career but a solid 3rd pairing guy that kills penalties, who can move up in a pinch.

I would hesitate before putting such a low ceiling on a player with such a sudden upward developmental trajectory.

 

[OldCraig71]

Not so much imo.....McQuaid was slow with hands and feet of stone.

They are both 6'4" and play physical but that is where the comparisons end. McQauid had zero offensive ability, just a stay at home dman whereas Xhekaj is a much better skater with far superior puck skills. Arber is also considerably heavier, stronger, meaner and a better fighter.......Once he learns to defend positionally as well as McQuaid he will be quite literally better in every facet of the game.

Arber reminds me much more of a smaller but meaner version of Byfuglien. He can hit like a truck, rush the puck, shoot missiles, handle the puck and fight. Big Buff brought a similar energy to the rink where every player, official and fan knew when he was on the ice and where he was on the ice.



I would hesitate before putting such a low ceiling on a player with such a tremendous upward developmental trajectory.

Buff averaged nearly 15 goals a season as full-time NHL'er, got to 50 points on many occasions and could do all that plus scare the shit out of everyone that he played against. It would be amazing if Arber could get to that level.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Buff averaged nearly 15 goals a season as full-time NHL'er, got to 50 points on many occasions and could do all that plus scare the shit out of everyone that he played against. It would be amazing if Arber could get to that level.

I am not suggesting that he necessarily reaches those levels of production but stylistically he is very similar to Byfuglien and very dissimilar to McQuaid. McQuaid never surpassed 3 goals,15 points,99 pim's, 157 hits or 64 SOG...... Xhekaj is a shoe in to obliterate all of these highs, likely as a rookie if he plays the entire season.

Arber is currently on pace for :


[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]G[/TD]
[TD]A[/TD]
[TD]P[/TD]
[TD]PIM[/TD]
[TD]S[/TD]
[TD]H[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]180[/TD]
[TD]153[/TD]
[TD]290[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[417]

I expect he's gonna be sent to Laval when Matheson is activated.

 

[Kojo]

I expect he's gonna be sent to Laval when Matheson is activated.

Since we're talking about Byfuglien, they could play X as a winger like Chicago did with Buff, he would be good on the bottom-6.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I expect he's gonna be sent to Laval when Matheson is activated.

It is the move that makes the most sense

 

[Deebs]

I would hesitate before putting such a low ceiling on a player with such a tremendous upward developmental trajectory.

I wouldn't especially when there's two superior players (Matheson and Guhle) who will be playing ahead of him and with more offensive responsibilities.

There's nothing wrong with him being a 3rd pairing, penalty killing machine. Every great team needs those guys. If he adds a little extra offense here and there, even better

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

I expect he's gonna be sent to Laval when Matheson is activated.

I think they will send down Pezzetta.

Matheson - Edmundson
Guhle - Savard
Harris - Xhekaj
Kovacevic, Wideman

 

[Tyson]

I expect he's gonna be sent to Laval when Matheson is activated.

No way he is sent down.