Habs Call Up Florian Xhekaj Amid Injury Concerns

This change is a sign that the Habs are looking to have a tougher lineup when they take on their biggest rivals on Saturday. Florian could prove to be a great fit alongside Josh Anderson, as the duo can be lethal against opposing defensemen on the forecheck, causing headaches for the Leafs and potential future opponents.

What Florian Xhekaj will give the Habs is a clear physical presence, which could have been used when the Canadiens took on Tom Wilson and the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Following a charging elbow by Wilson that went uncalled on Evans, which took him out of the game, nobody even attempted to go after Wilson for what he did afterwards. This is an issue especially for a team that is in as bad a slump as they currently are. Xhekaj could come in and be the type to take things into his own hands like his brother used to do. However on Thursday, Arber Xhekaj’s physical side was pretty much invisible.

For Florian’s older brother Arber Xhekaj, his physicality has been extremely inconsistent lately, which has caused him to be much less effective on the ice as a whole. Hopefully, playing with his younger brother can help rejuvenate his physicality, and they can form a real-life version of the Bash Brothers together. 

Arber will always be at his most effective when he can be physical. Regardless of the penalties he takes at times, it is better for him to still throw hits with that risk as at least he will bring an intimidation factor that could prevent other teams from being overly physical and taking runs at players. The fact that Xhekaj didn’t do anything last night after the Wilson elbow, goes to show he’s not playing the way he can. Head coach Martin St. Louis may have played a factor in this, as Xhekaj has often gotten benched for taking penalties, but Arber needs to be physical to actually make an impact on the game. Rarely, Xhekaj can actually have a positive impact without bringing any physicality. Games like Thursday night, where Xhekaj records no hits, are unacceptable, especially when a teammate gets hurt due to a dirty play.

This is why his brother Florian, coming in, could be the intimidating factor that the Habs currently need to prevent guys like Wilson from walking all over the Habs’ skilled players. Also, it may be what it takes to snap Arber back into the physical force that he can be, regardless of the consequences that could arise when he plays that game. After Thursday’s game a player like Florian Xhekaj is needed. 

How do you feel about Florian Xhekaj getting his first taste of real NHL action on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs?