Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Arber might not be good defensively but what we've seen from

Matheson , Struble , Savard , Barron , Mailloux , Hutson isnt any better defensively . So i don't know why he isnt playing over Struble Mailloux or Barron atleast. Kinda embarassing from MSL to play Mailloux whos AHL material at this moment play over Jackeye

 

[WeThreeKings]

Arber might not be good defensively but what we've seen from

Matheson , Struble , Savard , Barron , Mailloux , Hutson isnt any better defensively . So i don't know why he isnt playing over Struble Mailloux or Barron atleast. Kinda embarassing from MSL to play Mailloux whos AHL material at this moment play over Jackeye

Barron and Mailloux are right shot defenseman.

Arber has to play better than Struble. He didn't in pre season. Struble had some rough games getting back up to speed and Barron hurt.

Now is his chance to establish his game and make it difficult to come out.

 

[Beendair Donedat]

His play suffers because MSL won’t allow him to be the nasty, physical defenseman that he needs to be. He gets benched, he gets blamed and he sits in the press box.

He’s going to take penalties, yes he has to be more careful and he’s worked on that, but he will take penalties. But what he brings is a presence, a swagger. The Habs play bigger and tougher when he’s in the lineup. The other team’s forwards are nervous and less aggressive - see Tkachuk, Brady from early on this season.

MSL gives countless chances to Barron, Matheson, Hutson, Struble and Mailloux when they’re poor defensively. Yet Xhekaj’s leash seems invariably shortened. I don’t think MSL knows how to coach him to maximize his contribution, and he obviously doesn’t value toughness in his lineup. I don’t think Xhekaj will ever get a fair shake with MSL as the coach, to become the defenseman and player he should be. Xhekaj needs a hard nosed coach that understands what he brings and won’t just toss him to the wolves when he makes a mistake.

 

[habdynasty]

he hasn’t been the same since he wrecked his shoulder.

 

[417]

Some of you talk as if he hadn’t been really solid in the second stretch of the season last year after his recall and before his injury. He was playing solid hockey as no 4 guy with Savard.

And while I agree he’s been struggling this year, please don’t act like Mailloux, Strubble, Baron or Hutson have been much better in the d-zone. Heck, even Savard has been ass. The D has been even worse with him out of the line up.

Edit:
He also keeps getting reprimanded and emasculated by St. Louis for playing his game and then we wonder why he looks flavorless on the ice. Let him play or trade him.

Emasculated?!?!?!

 

[HabsAddict]

I love X but he's not going to succeed in the half assed system Marty has created.

X doesn't process the game at the elite level nor the skating that one needs for martys tight zone defense. And Marty is not smart enough to create a system around the majority of players.

The biggest issue of all, does Hughes know what to do to fix this?