Would Trading Arber Xhekaj Hurt the Habs?

Brian Wilde stated that he believes that Xhekaj’s value would be about a 2nd round pick, but he also confidently said that they won’t trade him because he’s a “unicorn” just like his younger brother, Florian. With that being said, he also brought that Xhekaj’s likely trade value is worth less than what it is to the team as a player who can scare others off. For proof of that, all we need to do is ask Marc Staal, who was scared off a few years back w hen Xhekaj told him he told him he has 3 seconds to let go.

While, Xhekaj isn’t an old time NHL enforcer, he’s definitely a modern-day NHL policeman who will protect his teammates no matter what and lay a beatdown on nearly anyone in the league.

Wilde and Marinaro also discuss how St. Louis’ treatment of Arber Xhekaj over the last few years was less about him hating his style of play and more so wanting the defenseman to become more consistent. There was a time when Xhekaj would take bad penalties, which got so bad that he needed time in Laval to build his game back up early in the 2023-24 season.

It seems like Xhekaj has managed to get his bad penalties under control since he now knows how to pick his spots when to fight back, which is showing maturity. The thing that Xhekaj still needs to do is just tighten up his defensive game, but like Wilde says, playing with a declining veteran like David Savard certainly didn’t help his situation, as he needed to back up into the goalie for gap control reasons. Playing with Jayden Struble or Alex Carrier, who can skate much better than Savard, should allow Xhekaj to play a more sound defensive game.

The most important thing that Wilde and Marinaro mentioned is that trading Xhekaj could end up haunting the Canadiens in the end. The truth is the Habs have other tough guys on the roster like Kaiden Guhle or Josh Anderson who can hold their own, but no one else who can strike fear into the opposition’s eyes. While Xhekaj won’t stop the Tom Wilsons and Sam Bennetts of the world from throwing big playoff hits against the Habs, he will be a presence so that they happen less often. It was very evident that the first two games of the Habs series against the Washington Capitals showed that they needed a presence like Xhekaj when he was a healthy scratch. Once he came into the lineup, it gave the Habs players all a spark, and they played as if they were a bigger team than they seemed in the first 2 games.

It really is true that a presence like Xhekaj can make a difference, and if the Habs lose that, it can take a toll on the team’s play. Xhekaj may just be a bottom-pairing defenseman, but his role of the team’s policeman. He may not play every game, given that he is projected to be the 7th defenseman on the team to start the year, but when they need a tough presence in a game, he will surely be used that night.

Do you think the Habs need to keep Arber Xhekaj?