The Leafs have previously shown interest in Arber Xhekaj

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The Leafs have previously shown interest in Arber Xhekaj

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Aug 5, 2026 10:27 PM ET

Arber Xhekaj still doesn’t have a contract lined up for next season.

Will he start the season in Montreal?

The question arises because it is indeed strange that he hasn't been offered a contract yet. Montreal has several million dollars in salary cap space. Last Thursday, Herb Zurkowsky published an article in The Gazette.

In that article, we learn that a reliable source mentioned that the Leafs were once interested in the defenseman (and Sean Monahan).

That was two years ago.

Herb Zurkowsky: A source told The Gazette on Thursday that Toronto was interested in Arber Xhekaj and former Canadiens forward Sean Monahan two seasons ago. But the Maple Leafs have undergone a management change – Montreal Gazette (7/30)

— NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) August 5, 2026

Is that interest still there? Maybe.

But Toronto's front office has changed. And it may no longer be interested in doing business with the Habs. Remember that a trade involving Matthew Knies was supposed to take place this summer, but the Leafs' change in management derailed those plans, as Zurkowsky's article clearly states.

Xhekaj doesn't like the Leafs. He's made that clear on several occasions since he's been playing in the NHL. Would you trade a player like that within your own division?

One thing is certain: Kent Hughes seems patient on this front. We know that several teams are calling him about Xhekaj and that the Flames are the team most frequently linked to him so far.

In addition to the older of the Xhekaj brothers, Zachary Bolduc is also a free agent with the Habs.

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