Proposal: Habs - Devils trade
- Thread starter Doublechin
- Start date
So what I'm understanding is that the majority of habs fans in this thread wouldn't give up Xhekaj for 10th OV straight up?
If the Devils wanted him they could have drafted him two picks earlier. He probably was on their DND list, Doubt they would want him now.
MacDermid is a liability on the ice for the Devils - he's just a goon that will hurt you on the ice. Xhekaj can actually play hockey and has raw talent. He is developing into a solid bottom pairing dman with 2nd pairing potential.
While the OP's proposal missed the mark from a value perspective, there really is no reasonable trade that would involve Xhekaj. No late 1st round pick / 2nd round pick would be worth it to trade Xhekaj. Habs are grooming this player to be a valued core member of the team and a type of player we have been missing for decades.
No, that's what YOU want to read to label all Habs fans as homers. Xhekaj is obviously not worth a 10th OV straight up. The majority of Habs fans have told you this but you refuse to listen because it doesn't align with your agenda!
Arber Xhekaj can't kill penalties or even get a shot on the 29th ranked PK in the league
He is the most sheltered dman in hockey over the last 2 years, and STILL doesn't have good results.
He would make the Jobs of Luke Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler immensely harder
At least Brendan Smith and Kevin Bahl, ineffective as they are 5v5, are excellent penalty killers
He is the most sheltered dman in hockey over the last 2 years, and STILL doesn't have good results.
He would make the Jobs of Luke Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler immensely harder
At least Brendan Smith and Kevin Bahl, ineffective as they are 5v5, are excellent penalty killers
All of them are better hockey players than Xhekaj tho, which is an important factor as well
Can't believe we're having conversations about 10th overall for this guy.
-Not good offensively
-Not good defensively
-Can't contribute on either special teams unit (couldn't crack the 29th ranked PK in hockey)
-Doesn't play hard minutes
-Can't stay out of the box
Acquiring Arber Xhekaj would result in either Luke Hughes or Dougie Hamilton (on his off side) PK time.
Looks like a lot of fans are saying they would rather keep Xhekaj though.
Does that NA mean that he doesn't PK at all?
Yep. No PK time at all. About 15-20 seconds a game
He kills penalties about as often as Luke Hughes does. Which is shocking and terrifying considering the Habs PK has been dogshit the last 2 years and he still can't get an opportunity on it.
If we added Xhekaj we'd probably have to resign Brendan Smith and play him at 4LW just so he can kill penalties like he did at times this year.
EIther that or let Dougie kill penalties again like he did some in carolina, but that would result in either him, Nemec, or Marino killing on their off side
Yes, Habs fans would like to hold onto Xhekaj because of his potential and ability to goon it up when needed. Not sure why that is so controversial. If i was offered a 10th OA, he would be a Devil.
What are you on about? lol
OP's trade missed the mark. Habs fans like what Xhekaj brings and are excited about his development into an important player. He's not there yet but there's time.
With that said, the way Rempe got into the head's of the Devils players and fans. And how Rempe absolutely ran roughshod over the NJD, i can see Xhekaj being of interest to a soft pansy team like the NJD!
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So... were back to what I thought which is the Habs fans in this thread minus the OP would rather keep Xhekaj over getting 10th overall.
That’s a fair position but Xhekaj doesn’t fit what NJ needs. You always have fans that oversell a guy who fights well (watch any home Rangers game) but the reality is you only need that a handful of times per season. 75 games per season you need good defense and puck moving and penalty killing and power play .
So what you are saying is that reading comprehension is a challenge for you?
The majority of Habs fans in this thread do not consider Xhekaj's value to be a 10OA pick at all. Only mindless haters with an agenda would accuse Habs fans of valuing Xhekaj over the 10OA.
I would love Xhekaj ability to fight if he didn't have so many other flaws
-He can't stay out of the box otherwise
-He can't kill penalties
-I'm concerned what happens when he stops playing such sheltered minutes (he's in the bottom 5-10 in the league in terms of how much time he plays against elite competition)
-His results aren't great
This is where i disagree with you. Your perception is the Xhekaj is only a goon and nothing else. I am telling you he can play hockey, has skills, and will be a solid bottom pairing D next season with potential to be a 2nd pairing D in the future.
If you go by stats alone, the entire Habs D-corps (including Guhle) did not reflect well on paper. It is a really young D-corps. They will improve over time. Xhekaj has potential to be a solid NHL player and a core member of the Habs.
All of those don't inquire on the value of Xhekaj. Its posters saying that they don't want to trade Xhekaj because he has a unique skillset that the Habs need.
The Habs posters know no one will offer a 10OA for him as of today. Its you that is interpreting it that way because of your agenda. Which is really kinda sad.
Why are you so bitter?
After is ahl stint, he played with Savard on the second pair and played is best hockey ever. He looked like a new player .The guy will developpe into a fine bottom pairing d who can punish anyone with a hit or a fight. Pk time will probably come with more experience but he will never be more than that imo. A fine 5/6 dman .
lol, what does the age of the thread have to do with anything, and what do your 3 cherry picked posts prove? You claimed that there weren’t “plenty” of Habs fans that argued Anderson was a reasonable base for the 2nd overall in 2022. That thread is littered with posts disproving your point.
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