Montreal Canadiens Role Profiles: Florian Xhekaj

As we get into the dog days of summer and until training camp, thesickpodcast.com will profile Montreal Canadiens players based on their expected role for the 2026-27 NHL season.

Montreal Canadiens forward prospect Florian Xhekaj has shown great progress in development ever since they nabbed him in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. His improvements to his game earned him a brief call-up to the NHL during the 2025-26 season, but this upcoming season may give Xhekaj a chance to stay with the big club for the long term.

One element of his game that could help him get a chance to play a regular role for the Montreal Canadiens is that he brings a lot of much-needed sandpaper to the team. Xhekaj would particularly play well lining up on the opposite wing of Josh Anderson. The duo would create a ton of headaches for opposing defenders with their hard forechecking game that includes finishing all their checks. Then, as their centre, they have a reliable defensive player like Phillip Danault or even Owen Beck, whose role with the Montreal Canadiens was covered yesterday.

It could allow the Canadiens to form a similar line to what the New York Islanders had with their Matt Martin–Casey Cizikas–Cal Clutterbuck line that terrorized the league for over a decade, known as “The Identity Line.”  Cizikas was more the responsible defensive centre, winning his draws and getting the puck, while the other two players would dump the puck and chase it to deliver punishment on the opposition defensemen. This is exactly what playing Xhekaj with Anderson and Danault could bring to the Montreal Canadiens.

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However, the Canadiens would have more offence in their version of “The Identity Line,” as both Xhekaj and Anderson have shown that they can be good secondary scorers, while Danault is still a solid playmaker despite his game declining. Sure, for Xhekaj, he hasn’t proven that he can score in the NHL just yet, but he has a solid resume in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.

While, last season in the AHL, his goals dipped a bit from his rookie season, going from 24 in 2024-25 to 17 goals last year, it was less about Xhekaj struggling and more so his shooting percentage coming back to earth. Still, 17 goals in the AHL is a solid season for a player who gets next to no power play time and is often put into defensive situations. 

The concept of Xhekaj playing alongside Anderson and Danault on the fourth line would be a very good trio for late in the regular season and postseason when the game gets tighter and more physical. However, it likely won’t see the light early in the year barring any injuries, as Xhekaj is expected to start the year in Laval, but he could very well be back in the NHL as early as a month into the season.

Xhekaj will be able to fight for the final forward roster spot with Beck, but due to NHL experience and readiness, Beck likely has the inside track to make the team out of training camp, but things can change depending on how training camp goes.

When Xhekaj gets to the NHL, he will need to be more careful when it comes to taking penalties, as he’s finished in the top five in both his seasons in the AHL, including leading the league in 2024-25. Like his older brother Arber Xhekaj, he has learned over the years that there is the right time to take a penalty and the wrong time.