FLHabs
Send all your underacheiving prospects!!
- Feb 18, 2017
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Justin Barron is a former 1st round pick who can barely crack a dogshit blueline and has the luxury of training with some of the best player in the NHL along the way. Xhekaj is an undrafted kid who had to work at Costco. Spot the difference in expectations? Lemme guess, lets dump the only guy who has consistently dropped the gloves for this team, so another creampuff can dance around and cough up the puck instead?First of all you rip on everyone more than anybody else. Is this post satire? What about all the times you've ripped Barron?
Secondly we're ripping on him because he's getting burned in all situations. He's objectively worse than Barron ever has been, he gets killed off the rush, he can't seem to break up a cycle, he misses hits all the time, his breakout passes have been horrendous and he hasn't even been mean clearing the front of the net.
He constantly doesn't rotate onto his proper coverage, like every single shift. I'm wondering outside of fighting, which I love him for, what does this guy do well? His shot is a nice tool if he could get it off and on target, but that's a rare event.
He was a glaring factor in the loss tonight. He has to pick up that man in the high slot on the second goal to make sure he can't get a clean tip. He didn't. He literally is just standing there. He got blasted off the rush multiple times tonight, he's been absolutely awful
If I had a dollar for every time this guy has made a zero IQ play this season I'd buy this site. That isn't hyperbole.
I really have high hopes for the guy cause I want the nuclear deterrent in the lineup, but at this point the mainboard posters calling him just a goon haven't been wrong.
X is scared of losing his job (to Engstrom,Struble, Mailloux and cie) and it's doing a mental game on him.Needs to play with his edge, he's over-corrected a bit too much since the pre-season.
IMO, its more he hasn't PROGRESSED.He has regressed for sure.
I said it during preseason and got a lot of heat for it...but it won't be enough for Xhekaj to be known as the league's most fearsome face puncher.I totally agree, he was more effective in year 1.
Yep not sure you can put the Jeannie back in the bottle at this point.Xhekaj neede 2 to 3 full seasons at AHL level to learn how to play D at Pro level. As usual the management rushed him and the fans made him a god because of his fighting skills. On top of that the guy had two serious injuries to both shoulders in two seasons.
2 to 3 is pushing it. He needs a coach that trusts him to be himself. Martin isn't that.Xhekaj neede 2 to 3 full seasons at AHL level to learn how to play D at Pro level. As usual the management rushed him and the fans made him a god because of his fighting skills. On top of that the guy had two serious injuries to both shoulders in two seasons.
A laughable stat but probably feels correct. There's an animalistic, human-scale effect when there's a hulking beast on your side. Xhekaj needs to improve his D to secure his full-time NHL career and (saying this nicely and in a good way) he's going to be severely overpaid at some point when he turns UFA.Maxim Lapierre says hits against the Habs are down 30% when he's in the lineup. That's about 5~7 less hits every game.
Not sure where he pulled that from but big if true.
I said it during preseason and got a lot of heat for it...but it won't be enough for Xhekaj to be known as the league's most fearsome face puncher.
He's a Dman on this team, he's going to be expected to take a regular shift and fulfill a role that goes beyond enforcing.
Everyone wants to look at Barron and say he's playing awful, because AX is "cool"...
OK, but at the end of the day, performance is performance and it's pretty obvious who the weakest link is right now.
I'm far from giving up on AX, I think he's got so much more to give...but he's got to ignore that role that fans/media are so desperate for him to have, he can be so much better while still remaining feared/respected.
IMO, its more he hasn't PROGRESSED.
Barron has been better than Xhekaj, but I'd argue that Savard has been the weakest link on D. At least Xhekaj-Barron have had stretches of effectiveness, Savard has been awful with everyone he's played with.
He can more than play a regular shift at D, especially on the third pair. The relationship between player and coach is the problem.Leafs fan coming in peace.
Tough to have an enforcer in the top 6 D, if he doesn't take a step defensively, throw him on the 4th line (like MacDermid). Wouldn't let him go if I were you.
... don't forget Barron who is apparently our 1-2D now...He can more than play a regular shift at D, especially on the third pair. The relationship between player and coach is the problem.
He scratched Xhekaj to include Mailloux who is an absolute train wreck, he's just not liked by the coach.
The overabundance of fast skating PMDs on the defense is a clear reflection of what MSL likes in players.... don't forget Barron who is apparently our 1-2D now...
What are you even watching? Xhekaj has been a liability in his own end and an absolute non-factor offensively.He can more than play a regular shift at D, especially on the third pair. The relationship between player and coach is the problem.
He scratched Xhekaj to include Mailloux who is an absolute train wreck, he's just not liked by the coach.
Or maybe he's just not playing well and despite his popularity and near cult-like following, he's not an automatic on D.He can more than play a regular shift at D, especially on the third pair. The relationship between player and coach is the problem.
He scratched Xhekaj to include Mailloux who is an absolute train wreck, he's just not liked by the coach.
He's already confused as is, that would be a terrible idea IMO.I don't disagree to try him as forward. Could he be our Matt Martin?
agreed and I agree he needs to drop the schtick and play to his strengths. that being said, I think MSL yo-yo's himI said it during preseason and got a lot of heat for it...but it won't be enough for Xhekaj to be known as the league's most fearsome face puncher.
He's a Dman on this team, he's going to be expected to take a regular shift and fulfill a role that goes beyond enforcing.
Everyone wants to look at Barron and say he's playing awful, because AX is "cool"...
OK, but at the end of the day, performance is performance and it's pretty obvious who the weakest link is right now.
I'm far from giving up on AX, I think he's got so much more to give...but he's got to ignore that role that fans/media are so desperate for him to have, he can be so much better while still remaining feared/respected.
and this is a problem - especially come playoff time (or meaningful games) or against bigger teams like boston or LA - where habs were overmatchedThe overabundance of fast skating PMDs on the defense is a clear reflection of what MSL likes in players.