Prospect Info: Florian Xhekaj

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Yeah I miss Timmins' after draft breakdown...

Where everyone is a stud and the Habs are lucky if they get a role player out if any of them ?

 

[montreal]

After the 2nd picking any guy who becomes an NHL regular has a good dose of luck involved.

Pezz v Caufield ? I'm not sure how the BPA factors in because a team would have criteria for BPA, but for sure having a mix of prospects is needed. Gallagher was no high skill guy but he had lots of okay qualities and extreme tenacity, and here you are. For guys like Flo and Gallagher it's the never quit and aggression that may get them in as the skill set won't do it on its own. Hopefully like Gallagher Flo has a few okay NHL skills so that he becomes a Gallagher v a Pezz.

I don't know if I agree with after the 2nd pick any guy who becomes an NHL regular has a good does of luck, in many cases perhaps but for a number you have guys that were under scouted, injured, etc.. so many factors as to why someone gets looked over. When we pass on Anders Lee, in fact no team drafted him in his first year, I went crazy saying how we had to take a flyer on him and then again the next year when he fell to NYI so late in the draft. You could see the PF in making (scouts were concerned he would go the NFL route) so I don't know how much luck was involved there and not just poor scouting decisions.

With Gallagher it was more a question of his size/skating/speed at the time of the draft, he put in a ton of work. In each draft you have to flesh out where the talent is and where it would make sense just to get a role player. Perhaps it's harder to try to explain, but I don't agree when people say every pick has to be the BPA. There's lot's of factors to take into consideration for each draft is more my point.

 

[badfish]

Surely Bobrov made the trip to go see Michkov? He's still a Russian citizen, right?

If the Director of Amateur scouting didn't go to Russia (and had the opportunity) to see Michkov live (and seeing someone live is a factor in making that decision) I don't know how the scouting team can feel confident in a decision of that magnitude.

Still unclear but that was the gist of my thoughts, I've been on the ground in some pretty hairy places, including countries with ongoing conflict, and it's not like I'm a pretty normal guy doing a normal job. You have to be thorough !

 

[DAChampion]

I mean Gallagher had 80+ points and 40 goals, he was tenacious but he had skill and undervalued due to his size.

Pezzetta had 28 points, Xhekaj had 25 points.

Which Gallagher-type players were available this year?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Which Gallagher-type players were available this year?

That's not the point I was making. I was pointing out that Gallagher was not the same type of pick at all. He was a highly productive junior player.

 

[Treb]

Which Gallagher-type players were available this year?

Not exactly Gallagher, but I wanted Timur Mukhanov.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

 

[Treb]

The hit was definitely dirty, but he hits to hurt.

I'm not sure if anyone has knownly played against someone who hits to hurt, but just the mere thought causes you to rush plays so you can defend yourself. People who just hit to hit, yeah you might speed up a bit, but you're use to getting rubbed out into the boards, or whatever, so taking that extra second and making sure the pass is good, or it's out is worth it.

Not when someone is coming in hoping the hit hurts you.

Being a hard hitter is definitely a Xhekaj trait.

That, coupled with his brother progression curve, his recent size growth and comments from his OHL HC coming into their camp gives me hope that Florian might actually pull a Arber 2.0.

Florian ending up as a 6'3 or 6'4 3rd liner that is:
- a great hitter
- not afraid to fight
- great at deflections/redirection
- Decent or + defensively/offensively

Would be an awesome pick if he can be a poor man Tom Wilson.

 

[badfish]

Looks tall but lanky. Imagine he fills out and goes back for his 20 year old season. He'll destroy lol

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Looks tall but lanky. Imagine he fills out and goes back for his 20 year old season. He'll destroy lol

Just needs to follow the same diet his brother had in juniors

Stu Cowan: Beefy Canadien Arber Xhekaj's path to NHL paved with a fork

Eating six meals a day as a junior to gain weight and strength, the 6-foot-4 Hab added 65 pounds to hit his current playing weight of 240.

www.google.com

 

[Habsrule]

I was at the game tonight in Kitchener.

I was hoping that Xhekaj was going to take a step up from what I saw of him last year. I was hoping to see him skate with the puck more and try to create some chances. I didn’t see that in his game but he has definitely improved.

He is bigger than last year. He looked faster out there than last year. Most importantly he was way more physical than last year. He finished every check that he could. The game had a bunch of scrums after the whistles and he was in the middle of them when he was on the ice. He was shoving players at the face offs too.

He is a player that is very easy to hate when he is against your team.

 

[Belial]

I was at the game tonight in Kitchener.

I was hoping that Xhekaj was going to take a step up from what I saw of him last year. I was hoping to see him skate with the puck more and try to create some chances. I didn’t see that in his game but he has definitely improved.

He is bigger than last year. He looked faster out there than last year. Most importantly he was way more physical than last year. He finished every check that he could. The game had a bunch of scrums after the whistles and he was in the middle of them when he was on the ice. He was shoving players at the face offs too.

He is a player that is very easy to hate when he is against your team.

He will never become the guy that drives the play IMO.

I can see his absolute ceiling being the son of Anderson+Gallagher.

 

[yianik]

I don't know if I agree with after the 2nd pick any guy who becomes an NHL regular has a good does of luck, in many cases perhaps but for a number you have guys that were under scouted, injured, etc.. so many factors as to why someone gets looked over. When we pass on Anders Lee, in fact no team drafted him in his first year, I went crazy saying how we had to take a flyer on him and then again the next year when he fell to NYI so late in the draft. You could see the PF in making (scouts were concerned he would go the NFL route) so I don't know how much luck was involved there and not just poor scouting decisions.

With Gallagher it was more a question of his size/skating/speed at the time of the draft, he put in a ton of work. In each draft you have to flesh out where the talent is and where it would make sense just to get a role player. Perhaps it's harder to try to explain, but I don't agree when people say every pick has to be the BPA. There's lot's of factors to take into consideration for each draft is more my point.

Yeah, I think you are right. Many years ago I look at every teams top 2 centres and then looked at how they got to tje league. Of the 60 there were a few updrafted guys and 57 drafted. Of the drafted there were maybe 3 taken after the 3rd round, 3 from the 3rd, 8 from the 2nd and 43 or so from the 1st. And in the 1st most Cs taken higher in the round. So there was no question the scouts were very efficient at finding the Cs in the 1st 2 rounds and so finding a top 6 C after that was pretty unlikely.

I know another poster did what I did with Dmen and he found that top D while found mostly in tje higher rounds , could be found throughout tje rounds. So scouts were not as efficient and gems could be picked up in later rounds.

For sure there are reasons why reams will pass on a guy repeatedly and one team looks genius because they risked that the guys skating will be okay or improve or the guy has incredible compete etc.

 

[Habsrule]

He will never become the guy that drives the play IMO.

I can see his absolute ceiling being the son of Anderson+Gallagher.

Maybe I worded it poorly. I don’t expect him to drive the play but at the same time I don’t recall him skating with the puck on his stick at all. It would be nice to see him take the puck and just skate it up the ice once in a while. He will put up points because he goes right to the net and will rack up garbage like points in the dirty area.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Maybe I worded it poorly. I don’t expect him to drive the play but at the same time I don’t recall him skating with the puck on his stick at all. It would be nice to see him take the puck and just skate it up the ice once in a while. He will put up points because he goes right to the net and will rack up garbage like points in the dirty area.

If he becomes a Chris Nilan, i will be happy.

 

[Rapala]

That's not the point I was making. I was pointing out that Gallagher was not the same type of pick at all. He was a highly productive junior player.

It's actually a travesty he went so low in the draft. Most fans only stood up and took notice the following year although his stats were very similar his inclusion on Team Canada the following year was what brought him to most peoples attention. This is a guy who was a hair away from winning the Calder.

 

[Rapala]

I was at the game tonight in Kitchener.

I was hoping that Xhekaj was going to take a step up from what I saw of him last year. I was hoping to see him skate with the puck more and try to create some chances. I didn’t see that in his game but he has definitely improved.

He is bigger than last year. He looked faster out there than last year. Most importantly he was way more physical than last year. He finished every check that he could. The game had a bunch of scrums after the whistles and he was in the middle of them when he was on the ice. He was shoving players at the face offs too.

He is a player that is very easy to hate when he is against your team.

Is skating with the puck his game? I doubt it. Skating for sure but If he wants to make the NHL his path most likely lies in him having an ability to (firmly) seperate players from the puck, win every board battle possible, make smart plays moving the puck, be comfortable going to the net and having decent release under duress. Finally don't forget having that (threat) of violence.

 

[DAChampion]

Is skating with the puck his game? I doubt it.

Yes, but Xhekaj would need to reach a minimum level of proficiency with it to be effective at the NHL, and now and next year are the perfect time for him to work on it.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Yes, but Xhekaj would need to reach a minimum level of proficiency with it to be effective at the NHL, and now and next year are the perfect time for him to work on it.

Especially as a forward there's really no way around it

 

[Habsrule]

Is skating with the puck his game? I doubt it. Skating for sure but If he wants to make the NHL his path most likely lies in him having an ability to (firmly) seperate players from the puck, win every board battle possible, make smart plays moving the puck, be comfortable going to the net and having decent release under duress. Finally don't forget having that (threat) of violence.

It’s not his game at all but it is a skill that is required to play at a higher level. You have to be capable of receiving a breakout pass and being able to skate up ice with it. It may not be the style of game that you play but you still need to be able to do it.

 

[DAChampion]

It’s not his game at all but it is a skill that is required to play at a higher level. You have to be capable of receiving a breakout pass and being able to skate up ice with it. It may not be the style of game that you play but you still need to be able to do it.

I think the term "Mendoza line" from baseball makes for a good metaphor. That is, in baseball, catchers are more valued for their defense than their hitting, but if they hit less than .215, then they're probably not worth having on the team regardless of how good their defense is.

A particular skill might not be a particular player's game, but each player needs to achieve a minimum proficiency in certain particular skills to be adequate in the pros.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I think the term "Mendoza line" from baseball makes for a good metaphor. That is, in baseball, catchers are valued for their defense than their hitting, but if they hit less than .215, then they're probably not worth having on the team regardless of how good their defense is.

A particular skill might not be a particular player's game, but each player needs to achieve a minimum proficiency in certain particular skills to be adequate in the pros.

Gotta correct you here buddy

I am a huge baseball junkie and .200 is the Mendoza line. Also it has nothing to do with the catcher position (perhaps you were not inferring that) and batting average is no longer considered to be of great importance.

I understand what you are trying to say although a catcher could be very valuable if he was great defensively and has an OPS of close to .700 or better through walks and home runs regardless of a BA around .200

Anyways, carry on....I can be very annoying on these topics lol

 

[Rapala]

It’s not his game at all but it is a skill that is required to play at a higher level. You have to be capable of receiving a breakout pass and being able to skate up ice with it. It may not be the style of game that you play but you still need to be able to do it.

Not my description of being a puck carrier at all. You are talking about puck handling and yes these are basic skills.

 

[yianik]

If he becomes a Chris Nilan, i will be happy.

Lol. Nilan scored 20 one year, so I'd be thrilled also.

 

[Habs]

Not exactly Gallagher, but I wanted Timur Mukhanov.

Leonard is Gallgher on steroids, with some skill on top.