Value of: Arber Xhekaj value in a trade

[McJedi]

again, what trade then is your comparable?
since you do not like what others have thrown out, perhaps an alternative would be useful.

Nils Lundkvist is the obvious comparable here. Nils played just 25 NHL games for the Rangers (1G 3 A) when he was traded at 22 years of age for a 1st round pick from the excellent 2023 draft + 2025 4th rounder.

At the same age (Xhakaj is 22), he has had played 53 NHL games with 5G 8A. Xhakaj is obviously considered the better defensive defender based on his size (6'4 240 lbs). If Lundkvist was worth a 2023 1st+ at the same age with lesser NHL bona fides...

Why wouldn't Xhakaj have the same or higher value? And it's not like Dallas has some crappy FO. They draft well and they have one of the better teams in the NHL right now. Are we to suggest Dallas has a stupid front office? Same guys that drafted Robertson, Ottinger, Johnston and Stankoven in recent drafts.

If you say because one guy was a 1st round pick many years prior... that's stupid... because I'd say... look at how they've played in the NHL!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Nils Lundkvist is the obvious comparable here. Nils played just 25 NHL games for the Rangers (1G 3 A) when he was traded at 22 years of age for a 1st round pick from the excellent 2023 draft + 2025 4th rounder.

At the same age (Xhakaj is 22), he has had played 53 NHL games with 5G 8A. Xhakaj is obviously considered the better defensive defender based on his size (6'4 240 lbs). If Lundkvist was worth a 2023 1st+ at the same age with lesser NHL bona fides...

Why wouldn't Xhakaj have the same or higher value? And it's not like Dallas has some crappy FO. They draft well and they have one of the better teams in the NHL right now. Are we to suggest Dallas has a stupid front office? Same guys that drafted Robertson, Ottinger, Johnston and Stankoven in recent drafts.

If you say because one guy was a 1st round pick many years prior... that's stupid... because I'd say... look at how they've played in the NHL!!!!!!!!!

Being big doesn’t make you good defensively

 

[McJedi]

Being big doesn’t make you good defensively

But having the only positive expected goals for vs against on your entire NHL team does mean that when you are on the ice, your team has more and better scoring chances than the other team.

Xhakaj is the only defender on the Habs this season that can say this. And given his lack of experience one does wonder if he's got more room for growth in his game than someone that has been the apple of his club's eye since he was 10 years old and given all the best development opportunities.

Lundkvist has 71 career hits in 106 career games. Xhakaj has 200 hits in 68 career games. To his credit, Nils blocks more shots than Xhakaj.

 

[TS Quint]

Typical Habs thread. I love it. A couple of these Habs fans are runnin so wild even most of their fan base are calling them out.

X isn’t a high ceiling guy. The hope is he can just get to play a regular 3rd pair shift and not cost the team. Right now he’s heavily sheltered (on a bad group)and of all the defensemen that have played this year the coach has trusted him 2nd least. If this guy ever gets to be Gudas it will be a shock.

 

[conFABulator]

Leafs giving up a 2nd and Froese for Brian Effin Boyle comes to mind

Yeah? He's not a dman.

Isn't the Schenn trade from last year a better comparable? Though Schenn was much cheaper on the cap and arguably a better defenseman.

Among the worst teams in the league?
2 points out of a playoff position, 22nd in the league with the league's 3rd youngest lineup and they have the least experienced blueline. Nothing wrong here just part if the process. Lots of potential to be better. Come back and whine in 3 years. The team is doing well.

Didn't mean to offend. I was simply pointing out that they are again in the bottom third of the league with one of the worst (bottom 5?) Goal differentials, and have been for a few years now. That would be my definition of one of the worst teams in the league.

 

[CDN24]

He does not have a lot of value as the main piece of a trade. He is certainly unique but that does not equate to value IMO. Most of his value is in future potential, Habs are rebuilding so everything else being equal they are acquiring guys like him not disposing of them for current help.

All that said, I don't see him having a significant future role with The Habs. They have other guys who are ahead of him on depth chart as a LD (Ghule/Matheson) and guys who may soon be ahead of him (Hutson). He has played a bit on his wrong side as a RD but even there they have Barron currently who is ahead of him, Reinblacher will be ahead of him soon. There are guys like Mailloux. He will be a 5/6/7 if he stays with habs long term. But even then they have Struble who looks great in a small sample size and Harris on Left side. There are other guys on reserve list too Kovacevic is a better option as a bottom pair guy on right side.

At some point these guys including Xhekaj will need to be exposed to waivers. some D will be traded before that possibly including Xhekaj. He will need waivers by the start of the 25-26 season.

Best case trade scenario Arber is packaged with a 1st round pick in 2025 (habs or Calgary one) for a young semi established forward with decent upside (Think Dach/newhook) before they have to expose him to waivers

 

[HabsAddict]

He does not have a lot of value as the main piece of a trade. He is certainly unique but that does not equate to value IMO. Most of his value is in future potential, Habs are rebuilding so everything else being equal they are acquiring guys like him not disposing of them for current help.

All that said, I don't see him having a significant future role with The Habs. They have other guys who are ahead of him on depth chart as a LD (Ghule/Matheson) and guys who may soon be ahead of him (Hutson). He has played a bit on his wrong side as a RD but even there they have Barron currently who is ahead of him, Reinblacher will be ahead of him soon. There are guys like Mailloux. He will be a 5/6/7 if he stays with habs long term. But even then they have Struble who looks great in a small sample size and Harris on Left side. There are other guys on reserve list too Kovacevic is a better option as a bottom pair guy on right side.

At some point these guys including Xhekaj will need to be exposed to waivers. some D will be traded before that possibly including Xhekaj. He will need waivers by the start of the 25-26 season.

Best case trade scenario Arber is packaged with a 1st round pick in 2025 (habs or Calgary one) for a young semi established forward with decent upside (Think Dach/newhook) before they have to expose him to waivers

Good post.

Going back to the Laffy scenario. If X was worth an early 2nd and Laffy was a mid 1st then X and a second may have been a scenario depending how much a team values what Laffy and X bring and might bring. With Laffy playing better, the gap has widened. When X gets back and brings it to the next level, the balance of the scale changes again.

In all scenarios if we trade young defenseman it's either for a huge upgrade in defense or most likely a forward.

We got a lot of youngsters coming up and most look like really good mid 6 forwards so we need more Dachs in our diet.

 

[Golden_Jet]

But having the only positive expected goals for vs against on your entire NHL team does mean that when you are on the ice, your team has more and better scoring chances than the other team.

Maybe since he 8th in toi he’s being sheltered.

 

[McJedi]

Maybe since he 8th in toi he’s being sheltered.

He’s at 55% ozone faceoffs so that’s somewhat sheltered. Not super but not unnoticeable either. Fair comment.

 

[TheNumber4]

Nils Lundkvist is the obvious comparable here. Nils played just 25 NHL games for the Rangers (1G 3 A) when he was traded at 22 years of age for a 1st round pick from the excellent 2023 draft + 2025 4th rounder.

At the same age (Xhakaj is 22), he has had played 53 NHL games with 5G 8A. Xhakaj is obviously considered the better defensive defender based on his size (6'4 240 lbs). If Lundkvist was worth a 2023 1st+ at the same age with lesser NHL bona fides...

Why wouldn't Xhakaj have the same or higher value? And it's not like Dallas has some crappy FO. They draft well and they have one of the better teams in the NHL right now. Are we to suggest Dallas has a stupid front office? Same guys that drafted Robertson, Ottinger, Johnston and Stankoven in recent drafts.

If you say because one guy was a 1st round pick many years prior... that's stupid... because I'd say... look at how they've played in the NHL!!!!!!!!!

Lundqvist former 1st round pick stuck on a playoff team that didn't have room for him. Totally comparable to undrafted future journeyman that a Rebuilding team can't even find ice time for.

Oh and size doesn't automatically equal better defending. That's ridiculous.

 

[Canadienna]

I'm just one Habs fan, but I have zero interest in trading him and get physical pain every time I see this thread at the top of the page.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Nils Lundkvist is the obvious comparable here. Nils played just 25 NHL games for the Rangers (1G 3 A) when he was traded at 22 years of age for a 1st round pick from the excellent 2023 draft + 2025 4th rounder.

At the same age (Xhakaj is 22), he has had played 53 NHL games with 5G 8A. Xhakaj is obviously considered the better defensive defender based on his size (6'4 240 lbs). If Lundkvist was worth a 2023 1st+ at the same age with lesser NHL bona fides...

Why wouldn't Xhakaj have the same or higher value? And it's not like Dallas has some crappy FO. They draft well and they have one of the better teams in the NHL right now. Are we to suggest Dallas has a stupid front office? Same guys that drafted Robertson, Ottinger, Johnston and Stankoven in recent drafts.

If you say because one guy was a 1st round pick many years prior... that's stupid... because I'd say... look at how they've played in the NHL!!!!!!!!!

good comparable. Arber is still an unfinished product - especially at 22 with less than 100 games of NHL experience. He's physically intimidating and actually has a skill set. Those who aren't blind hab haters will notice he skates well for a huge dude, has a big shot and a good offensive game. He's also already a top 10 fighter in the NHL.
Like any young Dman, he needs to learn to play in his own zone. But there are 31 other teams who would love to have this guy.
Habs have 0 reason to move him. He has exactly what habs need and every other team in the NHL wants.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

No matter what people think of Arber Xhekaj and his value, its irrelevant as he is not available for trade. Not sure why anyone would think he is.

 

[Tbaybruin]

Bruins fan here. I would do a 2025 protected first and Zboril, for Wifi and 2023 3rd

 

[Unbiased Fan]

Nick Robertson and a 3rd would be my offer

 

[HabsAddict]

Bruins fan here. I would do a 2025 protected first and Zboril, for Wifi and 2023 3rd

No. Never. Not a chance. Foget abo'it.

We trade him to the Bruins and he becomes a top 2 monster...there will be an extra 500 hockey suicide lines added in Habland.

Look, over there, a squirrel....

 

[HuGort]

Bruins fan here. I would do a 2025 protected first and Zboril, for Wifi and 2023 3rd

What's the scoop on Zboril? He looked good his draft year then bang. Injuries or something?

 

[DougGilmour93]

Realistically he’s worth a 4th …
To a team like Toronto (division rival) you’d pay a little bit of a premium) maybe his value is inflated to a 3rd.
With that being said, what does Toronto own that’s worth the value of a 3rd?
Abruzzese?
Robertson?
I could see Robertson of interest. He is a spark plug of energy and can create plays and has a heck of a shot.
Me personally, I wouldn’t deal Robertson for X but that’s because I think X is too one dimensional and can’t even make the current Canadian squad.
The best I would do would be Abruzzese or Hirvonen.

 

[waitin425]

Bruins fan here. I would do a 2025 protected first and Zboril, for Wifi and 2023 3rd

What is the protection? Top 2, 3, 10?

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Bruins fan here. I would do a 2025 protected first and Zboril, for Wifi and 2023 3rd

That's one hell of an overpayment.

 

[Ciao]

No matter what people think of Arber Xhekaj and his value, its irrelevant as he is not available for trade. Not sure why anyone would think he is.

Well, maybe its because the OP asked for his value in a draft trade?

Its a rather odd and pointless question to begin with, and especially so because the OP @HabsAddict already has his mind made up and is using this thread like a drunk uses a lamp post: for support, not illumination.

This is an undrafted 22 y.o. player with only 68 NHL games who is presently in the AHL, and we're to think a third-round pick is ridiculously low.

Its entertaining, if nothing else.

Just for Laughs?

That comes from Montreal too, doesn't it?

 

[TGWL]

Nils Lundkvist is the obvious comparable here. Nils played just 25 NHL games for the Rangers (1G 3 A) when he was traded at 22 years of age for a 1st round pick from the excellent 2023 draft + 2025 4th rounder.

At the same age (Xhakaj is 22), he has had played 53 NHL games with 5G 8A. Xhakaj is obviously considered the better defensive defender based on his size (6'4 240 lbs). If Lundkvist was worth a 2023 1st+ at the same age with lesser NHL bona fides...

I don't know. Gm's saw how that worked out. Nils was seen as somebody who didn't get a shot. Didn't get an opportunity and still had all the hype from pre-NHL. Had Lundkvist played 53 games, he probably doesn't get the first.

 

[Ezpz]

What's the value of lucic in 2008? There is no other player like Xhekaj in the league and Montreal's management has no desire to move him. It would be something silly like the Tanner Jeannot or Hagel trades.

Xhekaj is the exact type of player that teams have been wasting first rounders on for over a decade hoping they'd get. Guys like Mcilrath or Tinordi or Siemens or Reinhart or morin or Fleury or Foote or many others outside of the first round too.

He's also one of the only players left in the league that keeps players honest on the ice. People really bullied the Habs last season early on and two seasons ago and after a few beat downs there are no more liberties being taken. Xhekaj is legitimately the toughest player in the league who can also take a regular shift.

Bruins fans know the value of a player like that.

 

[TS Quint]

What's the value of lucic in 2008? There is no other player like Xhekaj in the league and Montreal's management has no desire to move him. It would be something silly like the Tanner Jeannot or Hagel trades.

Xhekaj is the exact type of player that teams have been wasting first rounders on for over a decade hoping they'd get. Guys like Mcilrath or Tinordi or Siemens or Reinhart or morin or Fleury or Foote or many others outside of the first round too.

He's also one of the only players left in the league that keeps players honest on the ice. People really bullied the Habs last season early on and two seasons ago and after a few beat downs there are no more liberties being taken. Xhekaj is legitimately the toughest player in the league who can also take a regular shift.

Bruins fans know the value of a player like that.

He barely plays a regular shift WHEN he plays. Comparing him to 2008 Lucic is a joke. Some of these Habs fans are just wild.

 

[Wayfarer13]

He barely plays a regular shift WHEN he plays. Comparing him to 2008 Lucic is a joke. Some of these Habs fans are just wild.

Curious as how you define the metrics of barely playing a regular shift.