Prospect Info: Florian Xhekaj

[LaP]

It's okay to draft players who project as bottom 6. It's even okay to draft player who project as 4th line. I think there's value in having as many drafted players as you can in your team and have an inflow of ELC coming in during a cup window. Starting in the 4th round it's very rare that a player will become a quality top 6 player. So if you can grab someone who will be a high quality bottom 6 guy you do it.

The problem in the past is this team had the attitude that anyone drafted by it would either need to be the 2nd coming of Guy Lafleur or bust. Better examples of that are Tucker, Beauchemin and even Hainsey (who had a decent career despite everything). Basically if one of our kid was not good enough for the top 6 it was bust and bye bye. Hopefully our new management will have a different attitude toward the kids we draft and will accept them as they are and try to find a role for them.

There's a lot of value in ELC contracts in this league. Either in trade values or in cap management value. As long as we're not afraid to set aside depth vets who are asking for too much and replace them by good kids i think we should target kids who project as quality depth players and develop them as such. He's a project but i think he's an interesting one. Not mad about using a 4th on him. We just need to tamper expectations and let him grow.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

It's okay to draft players who project as bottom 6. It's even okay to draft player who project as 4th line. I think there's value in having as many drafted players as you can in your team and have an inflow of ELC coming in during a cup window. Starting in the 4th round it's very rare that a player will become a quality top 6 player. So if you can grab someone who will be a high quality bottom 6 guy you do it.

The problem in the past is this team had the attitude that anyone drafted by it would either need to be the 2nd coming of Guy Lafleur or bust. Better examples of that are Tucker, Beauchemin and even Hainsey (who had a decent career despite everything). Basically if one of our kid was not good enough for the top 6 it was bust and bye bye. Hopefully our new management will have a different attitude toward the kids we draft and will accept them as they are and try to find a role for them.

There's a lot of value in ELC contracts in this league. Either in trade values or in cap management value. As long as we're not afraid to set aside depth vets who are asking for too much and replace them by good kids i think we should target kids who project as quality depth players and develop them as such. He's a project but i think he's an interesting one. Not mad about using a 4th on him. We just need to tamper expectations and let him grow.

Or they'd back themselves into a corner and choose the wrong coa.

A prime example is when Bergevin and Co had Tinordi, Pateryn and Beaulieu.

Pateryn is retired, Beaulieu is on a PTO and Tinordi has a contract.

Hindsight it's easy to say they're nothing prospects now, but then they were looking promising.

Team didn't have a spot for all of them, but couldn't send them down. You made a mistake you got benched and then rotated out. Held onto them and they got...

Tinordi (+Stefan Fournier) for Scott and Chaput.

Beaulieu for a 3rd, which I believe was used on Scott Walford, who's playing Canadian college hockey, or was.

Pateryn and a 4th I believe dealt for Jordie Benn who was OK here.

To me at that time showed Bergevin wasn't ready to be a GM and Therrien shouldn't be a coach.

Beaulieu, or Tinordi should have been dealt. Only reason I'm not saying Pateryn is because he was a righty.

Habs could have gotten a bit more, or traded 1 with a 1st and gotten a proven player, but nah, in 10 years Bergevin traded 1 1st round pick and that was for Dvorak.

 

[RC51]

wow, now 6.4, yikes if he ends up95% of arbor and as a forward and turns out to be a 6.4 230-235 version of a Chris Nilon well " aint nobody going to take cheap shots at cole or nick " without meeting the

Xhekaj Brothers at the OK corral and hearing "well do you feel lucky PUNK"​

 

[WinterLion]

The Roberge brothers were fun...

 

[viceroy]

Picking Floarian 101st when guys like Alex Ciernik and Luca Pinelli are still on board?

More small forwards? Not unless they wow me.

He was also undrafted last year, he's 19 years old...

I like using late picks to give Undrafted guys the once over. Some guys just had a rough D year and others are a bit big and gangly and needed a year to grow into their bodies. I personally completely changed physically between 17-19 yrs of age.

Oh, god. You'd think we'd have learned from trying to draft face-punchers like Crisp.

Having strict face-punchers is something from 15-20 yrs ago. Smart physical guys that can put the fear of God in the opposing team will always be in demand. Despite what some of you guys think.

Late round is not 4th round. He was 6 or 7th round material at best.

The talk about the NHL is that a lot of teams wanted him at around the 4th or 5th round. His big brother Arber left quite the impression on teams that faced us.

Wait! so he's taller now than his big brother(6'3") Arber? Kick ass.

 

[windycity]

Interesting prospect for sure. I have zero problem using a 4th on him, it's a total crap shoot by then anyway

 

[DAChampion]

Interesting prospect for sure. I have zero problem using a 4th on him, it's a total crap shoot by then anyway

A few years ago, many posters here were enraged when a 6th rounder was used on Pezzera.

 

[WeThreeKings]

A few years ago, many posters here were enraged when a 6th rounder was used on Pezzera.

Yes, I don't believe in drafting someone who needs their entire development to go right just to be a 13th forward that sits in the press box.

Great for Pezzetta to beat the odds and he's a beauty person; but I still would have much preferred taking the shot on Sokolov even if he never made it.

Pezzetta's are a dime a dozen.

 

[Rapala]

The Roberge brothers were fun...

Mario was the bomb one of my favorites of all time behind Knuckles.

 

[Sterling Archer]

More small forwards? Not unless they wow me.



I like using late picks to give Undrafted guys the once over. Some guys just had a rough D year and others are a bit big and gangly and needed a year to grow into their bodies. I personally completely changed physically between 17-19 yrs of age.



Having strict face-punchers is something from 15-20 yrs ago. Smart physical guys that can put the fear of God in the opposing team will always be in demand. Despite what some of you guys think.



The talk about the NHL is that a lot of teams wanted him at around the 4th or 5th round. His big brother Arber left quite the impression on teams that faced us.



Wait! so he's taller now than his big brother(6'3") Arber? Kick ass.

I think they're both 6'4" now. Arber Xhekaj Stats and News

Though in pictures of them together from this summer, Arber still looks a little taller. So I'd say Florian is closer to 6'3" from the eye test.

 

[WinterLion]

Can we can him Flo?

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Can we can him Flo?

Not to his face

 

[Jaynki]

Picking Floarian 101st when guys like Alex Ciernik and Luca Pinelli are still on board?

Questionable?

How many more soft, small forward with questionable offensive potential do we need?

We already have a plethora of those. Like there is not even enough room to fill the AHL roster.

At least, Florian Xhekaj can bring something else to the table. Something important in a 4th line role.

Seriously, who cares about f***ing Luca Pinelli?

 

[Rapala]

Yes, I don't believe in drafting someone who needs their entire development to go right just to be a 13th forward that sits in the press box.

Great for Pezzetta to beat the odds and he's a beauty person; but I still would have much preferred taking the shot on Sokolov even if he never made it.

Pezzetta's are a dime a dozen.

I have no use for Pezzetta sure he's an energy guy but there is not much behind that. If it turns out Florian can do that job and has the goods to back it up it's a great pick. It shouldn't be lost on people that in game two of the SCF Matthew Tkachuk layed into and obliterated Jack Eichel and the payback wasn't long in coming. In game three Keegan Kolesar effectively ended Tkachuk's and Florida's SC hopes.

Both checks were of the open ice head-hunting variety and both were deemed legal. This is by far the best type of response to give to a player taking a run at one of your stars. Didn't even have to fight.

Game Over Series Done.

 

[Rapala]

Having strict face-punchers is something from 15-20 yrs ago. Smart physical guys that can put the fear of God in the opposing team will always be in demand. Despite what some of you guys think.

Indeed.

 

[Adam Michaels]

How many more soft, small forward with questionable offensive potential do we need?

We already have a plethora of those. Like there is not even enough room to fill the AHL roster.

At least, Florian Xhekaj can bring something else to the table. Something important in a 4th line role.

Seriously, who cares about f***ing Luca Pinelli?

I'm in favor of drafting guys like Florian and Pezzetta. I was a fan of Pez's since he was in Junior. Mainly because he was bringing something to the table other prospects didn't. Guys like Luke Tuch. These are guys who will provide some more grit and more sandpaper. They can't all be goal scorers and offensive dynamos.

 

[Jaynki]

I'm in favor of drafting guys like Florian and Pezzetta. I was a fan of Pez's since he was in Junior. Mainly because he was bringing something to the table other prospects didn't. Guys like Luke Tuch. These are guys who will provide some more grit and more sandpaper. They can't all be goal scorers and offensive dynamos.

Exactly.

You cant have a Mike Hoffman on a 4th line. Its not his role and he wont live good with it.

You need particular player with particular skillset and guys that will accept their role there.

Some 4th liners had great career there and were in-demand player. Its ok to aim for such a profile in the 4th round.

 

[schwang26]

Exactly.

You cant have a Mike Hoffman on a 4th line. Its not his role and he wont live good with it.

You need particular player with particular skillset and guys that will accept their role there.

Some 4th liners had great career there and were in-demand player. Its ok to aim for such a profile in the 4th round.

Honestly, some first rounders become 4th liners and checkers in the NHL. You hope, but you never know. I'm not sure that nhl teams actually draft guys to BE 4th liners. They hope everyone will be a super star.

 

[Hins77]

Honestly, some first rounders become 4th liners and checkers in the NHL. You hope, but you never know. I'm not sure that nhl teams actually draft guys to BE 4th liners. They hope everyone will be a super star.

When you draft a Filip Mesar at 5ft9. You need a home run, and most of the time it won’t happen. There is a lot of big frame selected from 20th to 32th position, cause if they bust in term of production, they could become someone else in term of bottom 6.

 

[rahad]

Florian has a great pick. People here value way to much draft pick. After the first round, it become very hard to find NHL player. If Florian make it to the NHL, is a big win for the Habs.

 

[Ezpz]

I have no use for Pezzetta sure he's an energy guy but there is not much behind that. If it turns out Florian can do that job and has the goods to back it up it's a great pick. It shouldn't be lost on people that in game two of the SCF Matthew Tkachuk layed into and obliterated Jack Eichel and the payback wasn't long in coming. In game three Keegan Kolesar effectively ended Tkachuk's and Florida's SC hopes.

Both checks were of the open ice head-hunting variety and both were deemed legal. This is by far the best type of response to give to a player taking a run at one of your stars. Didn't even have to fight.

Game Over Series Done.

It's ironic you should say that since the game Tkachuk got obliterated was the only game Florida won. That was the most lopsided finals I've ever seen even before any physicality. Vegas outscored Florida by 15 goals in the 4 games they won. If you take out the one goal game it was 14 extra goals in 3 games.

 

[montreal]

I wouldn't have picked him that high but to me it felt after Fowler the draft was over, they knew the pickings would be slim perhaps. That said if he ends up half of what his brother has shown then good for us.

 

[Rapala]

It's ironic you should say that since the game Tkachuk got obliterated was the only game Florida won. That was the most lopsided finals I've ever seen even before any physicality. Vegas outscored Florida by 15 goals in the 4 games they won. If you take out the one goal game it was 14 extra goals in 3 games.

The response was end game that's what I was referring to. How much hope do you think Florida had once their Beast was slain?

 

[Ezpz]

The response was end game that's what I was referring to. How much hope do you think Florida had once their Beast was slain?

They were already flat and getting destroyed.

 

[Mrb1p]

I wouldn't have picked him that high but to me it felt after Fowler the draft was over, they knew the pickings would be slim perhaps. That said if he ends up half of what his brother has shown then good for us.

The 3rd round has so many good players after 69, unsure how it was over. After the 3rd its slimmer but there's still a few nice players that had higher potential than Florian.