Calgary Flames Reportedly Had Interest In Arber Xhekaj

Pagnotta also named the Philadelphia Flyers as one team that has had a longstanding interest in trading for Xhekaj.

It’s not difficult to see why some teams would be interested in trading for Xhekaj. A 6’4″, 240-pound left-shot defenseman, Xhekaj plays a bit of a throwback style. He is a combative, bruising defenseman who is capable of dishing out big hits and holding his own in fights. The physical element Xhekaj brings to the Canadiens’ lineup is one no other teammate can truly match.

There are few defensemen across the NHL who are as consistently physical as Xhekaj, though his overall on-ice value is more up for debate. Xhekaj was the Canadiens’ least-used defenseman last season, averaging just 11:25 time on ice per game.

He played even less in the postseason, averaging just 8:05 time on ice per game during the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Final. While Xhekaj has a booming slap shot and underrated puck skills for a player of his style, the reality is he still hasn’t been able to impact games on a consistent basis, outside of the physicality he brings.

That has made him a difficult player to value, and it could be contributing to why Montreal has not been able to reach an agreement with Xhekaj on a new contract. The Canadiens clearly highly value what Xhekaj brings to their lineup, and how he contributes to the identity of their team. NHL decision-makers consistently value players who they consider “hard to play against,” and many within the game would likely argue that few fit that description better than Xhekaj.

With that said, there are others that would argue that while Xhekaj is certainly “hard to play against” in terms of his tenacity and bruising style, the limitations in his game make him a vulnerable target for some of the league’s more skilled offensive threats. Where Xhekaj’s ultimate value lies is still unclear, and the kind of contract he receives will be an interesting one to track.

If the Canadiens continue to have difficulty getting Xhekaj’s signature on a new deal, expect his name to surface in trade rumors even more frequently. For a team such as Calgary, a player like Xhekaj could be a worthwhile gamble. Their status as a rebuilding team means they could give him more of a runway to work out the bumps in his game and develop into a more well-rounded defenseman.

Additionally, the intangibles Xhekaj brings could aid a Flames franchise looking to instill certain values in the young players it graduates to the NHL. With Xhekaj in tow, the Flames could be better-equipped to emphasize the development of sandpaper in their prospects.

While the Flyers are at a different stage than Calgary in their competitive cycle, their reported interest in Xhekaj aligns quite nicely with their longstanding organizational identity as a club that values physicality in their players. If Xhekaj is ever available on the open market or via trade, expect Philadelphia to be in the hunt for his services.

In any case, it appears for the time being, Montreal is still interested in keeping Xhekaj. He’s been a consistent face in their rebuild, and has helped them as they’ve morphed into a legitimate playoff team. But if Montreal does ever sanction Xhekaj’s exit from the club, expect there to be widespread interest from rival NHL teams.