Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Latest comments putting pressure on Canadiens to make a change with Arber Xhekaj?

Originally posted on Habs Fanatics | By Elias Adaime | Last updated Feb 5, 2025 6:05 PM ET

The injury to Kaiden Guhle hurts the Montreal Canadiens. Losing such an important defenseman is a big blow. But all teams go through this, and solutions must be found.

In fact, Maxim Lapierre and Pascal Leclaire from the "La Poche Bleue" podcast discussed what Martin St. Louis could do to compensate for this loss.

Two hosts ask the Canadiens to give more responsibilities to Arber Xhekaj

According to them, now is the right time to give Arber Xhekaj more responsibilities.

Lapierre thinks Xhekaj is ready for a bigger role and would like to see what he can do in the top four.

"Why doesn't Xhekaj have the opportunity to earn a spot or lose it? He's not a liability, he's a smart, physical guy, and I'd like to see his level of focus if we give him a bigger role. Why aren't we testing him?"

Pascal Leclaire believes the Canadiens have placed Xhekaj in the same situation over and over by always giving him the same role.

He plays well in that role, but is he really being given a chance to do more?

It's worth trying. Guhle will probably miss the rest of the season, and no one can truly replace him internally.

Alexandre Carrier and Michael Matheson can't do everything, and Lane Hutson is slowing down a bit, which is normal for a rookie.

It's now or never to test Xhekaj and see if he can take his game to another level.

This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.

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