Prospect Info: Florian Xhekaj

[WeThreeKings]

That goal the other day was very very nice.. he's got enough offensive qualities that he could chip in at the NHL level which is what you'll want from someone physical and fight happy like him.

I ratioed the pick but man I was wrong, this wasn't about appeasing his brother.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

That goal the other day was very very nice.. he's got enough offensive qualities that he could chip in at the NHL level which is what you'll want from someone physical and fight happy like him.

I ratioed the pick but man I was wrong, this wasn't about appeasing his brother.

That was a fair assumption based on what he had done up to that point. A lot of the stuff he has been able to do this season has been just impossible to predict. The late growth spur, being able to play center, suddenly getting top line minutes on a good team, etc. All very much out of left field.

 

[FrankMTL]

He's almost a point per game player in his last 25 games with 12 Goals and 12 Assists for 24 Points.

We're seeing a rapid development trajectory for him at the moment. I think he's figuring out that he has enough talent to be able to contribute in other ways besides fighting.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

That was a fair assumption based on what he had done up to that point. A lot of the stuff he has been able to do this season has been just impossible to predict. The late growth spur, being able to play center, suddenly getting top line minutes on a good team, etc. All very much out of left field.

Clearly the Habs scouting team predicted it. I think we should give them props instead of saying it was impossible to predict.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

I'll eat crow too. Hated the pick from the outside looking in. He's what Thrower and Crisp should have been with old regime but at the right draft pick range. Rooting for the kid.

 

[Wateredgarden]

Don't forget that it's technically his d+2 season, he's gonna be 20 in june. McCarron had a lot more points than him at the same age. I love the pick and he's obviously more skilled than Mike Mike Caron, but he's really far from the NHL.

 

[Tyson]

Don't forget that it's technically his d+2 season, he's gonna be 20 in june. McCarron had a lot more points than him at the same age. I love the pick and he's obviously more skilled than Mike Mike Caron, but he's really far from the NHL.

Very far but the progress has been impressive

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Don't forget that it's technically his d+2 season, he's gonna be 20 in june. McCarron had a lot more points than him at the same age. I love the pick and he's obviously more skilled than Mike Mike Caron, but he's really far from the NHL.

This post is on point.

FX has shown above average straight forward speed and a very good wrist shot. What is most impressive in the games that I have watched is his offensive vision and defensive awareness. FX's combination of size , skill and compete level allows him to play both on Brantford's power play and penalty killing units . Offensively, he plays much more than a power game as he makes numerous subtle passes that create scoring chances for his line mates. This latter skill is really unexpected from what I had been reading about this mid-round draft choice. But he still lacks the necessary quickness to excel at the NHL level.

If he can gain that necessary additional level of quickness, FX will soon be joining his older brother in terrorizing Montreal's opponents.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Very far but the progress has been impressive

Even if he can take Pezzetta's spot, it'd be a win.. because Florian actually has the size and fighting ability to scare people the way Pezz can't.

 

[Wats]

Hated that it seemed like a reach but looks like it was worth well it at 4th round if they were sure about him. I'd give him the Arber development and give him an extra year in the O. Might help him take his puck skills to another level like his brother.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Florian is Pezz 2.0, he can do what Pezz does, and he's a better goal scorer.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Don't forget that it's technically his d+2 season, he's gonna be 20 in june. McCarron had a lot more points than him at the same age. I love the pick and he's obviously more skilled than Mike Mike Caron, but he's really far from the NHL.

I’d give him another year in the O personally

 

[montreal]

Clearly the Habs scouting team predicted it. I think we should give them props instead of saying it was impossible to predict.

the big thing to me is him playing center this year, so did they predict that? We lost the scout that was behind this pick though, as Matt Turek left in the off-season.

 

[Shutdown]

the big thing to me is him playing center this year, so did they predict that? We lost the scout that was behind this pick though, as Matt Turek left in the off-season.

because he took the GM job, right? he probably remains a very good contact. though you can't compare that to having him on staff.

 

[Schooner Guy]

That goal the other day was very very nice.. he's got enough offensive qualities that he could chip in at the NHL level which is what you'll want from someone physical and fight happy like him.

I ratioed the pick but man I was wrong, this wasn't about appeasing his brother.

That was a fair assumption based on what he had done up to that point. A lot of the stuff he has been able to do this season has been just impossible to predict. The late growth spur, being able to play center, suddenly getting top line minutes on a good team, etc. All very much out of left field.

Clearly the Habs scouting team predicted it. I think we should give them props instead of saying it was impossible to predict.

This pick was a classic case of public draft lists and private draft lists (NHL teams) being apples to oranges. After the draft there were reports that other teams were high on Florian and Habs wouldn't have been able to get him any later.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I remember reading a report predicting F. Xhekaj would flourish offensively this season. I feel he’s a Marcus Foligno type of prospect, you know youre getting a 4th liner, but he’s awesome at it.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

That was a fair assumption based on what he had done up to that point.

It wasn't a fair assumption at all. The idea that the habs would waste an early 4th round pick for a feel-good story and that they need to appease Arber, the guy who went undrafted and whom the habs gave an nhl contract, made no sense.

A lot of the stuff he has been able to do this season has been just impossible to predict. The late growth spur, being able to play center, suddenly getting top line minutes on a good team, etc. All very much out of left field.

That's not true.
Florian was at least 6'2 when drafted, so he already had a good NHL height.
The role he was going to play the following season is information the habs would have easily gotten by talking to his junior team coach/gm.

The habs invited Arber Xhekaj to their camp when he was 20 years old, had gone undrafted, and missed a full season due to covid. So they invited Arber Xhekaj based on what they saw of him as an 18 year old.

Florian was 18 years old last season, and they likely saw a lot of similar qualities to 18-year-old Arber.

 

[viceroy]

Don't forget that it's technically his d+2 season, he's gonna be 20 in june. McCarron had a lot more points than him at the same age.

In one important respect it isn't. I hate using D+1 and similar development measuring tools comparing recent picks with others Pre-Covid. Many of these youths lost lots of games, training and tournament play due to the pandemic. Sure we give an out to someone like Mailloux but these '23-'31 kids shouldn't have their development curves graded either to earlier year picks because of this.

 

[Wateredgarden]

In one important respect it isn't. I hate using D+1 and similar development measuring tools comparing recent picks with others Pre-Covid. Many of these youths lost lots of games, training and tournament play due to the pandemic. Sure we give an out to someone like Mailloux but these '23-'31 kids shouldn't have their development curves graded either to earlier year picks because of this.

They are still playing against each others. I mean maybe for their skating and overall skills, but they are all playing against players who went through covid. It's a great equalizer.

 

[viceroy]

They are still playing against each others. I mean maybe for their skating and overall skills, but they are all playing against players who went through covid. It's a great equalizer.

That's not what I meant. Maybe I wasn't clear but the example here was McCarron, his development wasn't hurt by Covid since he was well into his pro career once the pandemic hit. So comparing Florian to him was a flawed comparison. Of course compare guys like Flo to guys that also went through the big C.

 

[montreal]

That's not what I meant. Maybe I wasn't clear but the example here was McCarron, his development wasn't hurt by Covid since he was well into his pro career once the pandemic hit. So comparing Florian to him was a flawed comparison. Of course compare guys like Flo to guys that also went through the big C.

They do kind of compare as Big Mike was also drafted as a winger and moved to center in the OHL. Both play a power game, like to drop the gloves, but also showed they have some decent hands.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Even if he can take Pezzetta's spot, it'd be a win.. because Florian actually has the size and fighting ability to scare people the way Pezz can't.

FX is a completely different player that Pezzetta, skill wise. FX has offensive vision, shooting and playmaker abilities and top end speed that Pezzetta can only dream about.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

This post is on point.

FX has shown above average straight forward speed and a very good wrist shot. What is most impressive in the games that I have watched is his offensive vision and defensive awareness. FX's combination of size , skill and compete level allows him to play both on Brantford's power play and penalty killing units . Offensively, he plays much more than a power game as he makes numerous subtle passes that create scoring chances for his line mates. This latter skill is really unexpected from what I had been reading about this mid-round draft choice. But he still lacks the necessary quickness to excel at the NHL level.

If he can gain that necessary additional level of quickness, FX will soon be joining his older brother in terrorizing Montreal's opponents.

I don't think he plays with top players at regular strength though. At least not all the time.

 

[viceroy]

They do kind of compare as Big Mike was also drafted as a winger and moved to center in the OHL. Both play a power game, like to drop the gloves, but also showed they have some decent hands.

*sigh* But they didn't get equivalent development time. Florian with his "generation" lost time whereas Big Mike's "generation" didn't. Kinda like you have to keep track of guys back in the day that spent years in the WHA and those points don't count in the NHL or the fact the guys in Ovi's generation lost tons of time because of the work stoppages.

Simple concept I think.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

FX is a completely different player that Pezzetta, skill wise. FX has offensive vision, shooting and playmaker abilities and top end speed that Pezzetta can only dream about.

Top end speed for me is Bure, McDavid, MacKinnon, so I'm assuming he's got good speed for his size and not top end speed ?