The Montreal Canadiens have a problem most teams would love to have: too many NHL-caliber defensemen. And that surplus is starting to attract phone calls.
Arber Xhekaj, the 6-foot-4 blueliner who threw 178 hits during the regular season and played 13 more in the playoffs, has drawn trade interest from multiple teams. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period broke the news earlier this month and doubled down on the Leafs Morning Take podcast. “Some teams have been calling about Arber Xhekaj,” he said. TVA Sports backed that up on Monday.
Xhekaj is a restricted free agent who didn’t file for salary arbitration. That makes him vulnerable to an offer sheet, though that’s rarely how these things play out. He just finished a two-year deal worth $2.6 million total and posted four points in 65 regular-season games plus a goal and an assist in the playoffs. Offense has never been his thing. But the guy is one of the league’s toughest players, he’s left-handed, and he’s only 25. Somewhere there’s a team that needs that more than Montreal does right now.
The Canadiens already have six defensemen under contract for next season: Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Alexandre Carrier, and Jayden Struble. Plus they’ve got two top prospects pushing for roster spots — David Reinbacher, the fifth overall pick in 2023, and Adam Engstrom, a 2022 third-rounder. Something has to give.
Xhekaj went undrafted out of junior hockey after winning an OHL title with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2021-22. Montreal signed him as a free agent and he’s been with the organization ever since. In 230 career games he has 10 goals, 33 points, and 416 penalty minutes. He also led the team in hits this year and finished plus-five in the playoffs. But on a blue line this deep, his minutes might not grow much.
The Canadiens aren’t hurting for cap space. They’ve got nearly $14 million to work with. General Manager Kent Hughes still has needs elsewhere though, and a defensive surplus is the kind of problem that fixes other holes on the roster. If he finds the right deal, Xhekaj’s name will keep popping up until training camp.
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