Another year, another shoulder surgery was performed on Arber Xhekaj, who had this to say in his last media availability of the season.
Arber Xhekaj underwent left shoulder surgery on April 10th, and yesterday, before the Montreal Canadiens‘ last game of the season, he fielded questions from the media for the last time this season.
Right away, Xhekaj voluntarily stated his left shoulder had been bothering him for quite some time, even in the junior, but he never had it checked out. The shoulder was bothering him all season, but he hid it from the team’s staff because he wanted to play. This is hardly surprising considering it was a contract year for the young blue liner, whose last season only lasted 51 games after he was shut down for the year to undergo right shoulder surgery.
Last June, the Canadiens, concerned by the number of injuries sustained by their players, fired Head Athletic Therapist Head Athletic Graham Rynbend Head Physiotherapist Donald Balmforth. Earlier in the season, general manager Kent Hughes mentioned that the Canadiens had to be able to protect the players from themselves. Nearly a year later, this is still a concern, but there’s a limit to what can be done if the players lie downright to the staff.
Xhekaj acknowledged he should have spoken up earlier and had the shoulder checked out much earlier, but then, his right shoulder gave up on him last season, even though it had never been an issue before. Now, he’s expecting to be off the ice for about two months to allow both the shoulder and his body to heal and recuperate properly. He will be ready to go when training camp comes around since the surgeon was happy with the operation and expected no complications. He must be prepared, especially since quite the battle for blueliner’s spots should occur.
On top of all the young defensemen the Canadiens already had this season, rookies Logan Mailloux, Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher are expected to push hard to earn the right to stay in the NHL with the Canadiens instead of heading to Laval to ply their trade in the AHL. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kent Hughes try to swing a few deals this summer using his staked defensemen cupboard to get some help up front where his team is lacking in offensive punch.
Speaking of punch, Xhekaj was also asked about the possibility of the Xhekaj brothers terrorizing the league. He couldn’t refrain from his enthusiasm and immediately said, “Oh man, I can’t wait!” His younger brother, Florian Xhekaj, was drafted in the 4th round at the last draft and signed his entry-level contract earlier this month. The proud elder believes his brother will be a depth player for the Canadiens on the 3rd or 4th line and that his physicality could be handy.
With a long off-season ahead, it’s not easy to figure out which blueliner Hughes might trade, but I would be shocked if he sent Xhekaj the first packing, especially after mentioning this morning to the press that his team lacked in physicality. While each of the young blueliners has an upside, Xhekaj is the only one who can make his teammates feel bigger through his presence on the ice.
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