Martin St-Louis will have to make a tough decision about Arber Xhekaj’s career with the Montreal Canadiens because of his recent issues.
It is becoming more difficult to overlook the message surrounding Xhekaj. According to journalist Stu Cowan, the finest course of action for the defenseman’s career would be to leave the Canadiens for a club that would play him frequently.
The narrative of Xhekaj’s time in Montreal is directly impacted by that evaluation. He gave the Canadiens something new on the back end by using his size, physical advantage, and readiness to stick up for his teammates to carve out a recognizable spot.
However, gaining a consistent position under St-Louis has proven to be a different issue. Xhekaj’s place in the lineup was never entirely guaranteed last year, when he was mostly employed as a sixth or seventh defenseman.
Into yet another offseason, that ambiguity has followed him. Xhekaj has not signed a contract as training camp nears, and there is still a lot of rivalry for time in Montreal.
One of the most immediate impediments is Jayden Struble. Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, and Lane Hutson also hold prominent positions on the Canadiens’ blue line, making consistent deployment challenging to ensure.
A crucial Canadiens choice awaits Arber Xhekaj.
That’s why Cowan’s message is significant. His worry is not that Xhekaj is deficient in good NHL qualities, but rather that too few minutes may prevent him from obtaining the practice required to get better.
The pressure point continues to be defensive consistency. Montreal desires more consistency from Xhekaj and better puck judgments before giving him more duties.
The issue is that frequently, these improvements demand playing through errors. Less chances to develop rhythm and trust are available to a player who frequently enters and exits the lineup.
Essentially, that difference has characterized Xhekaj’s Canadiens tenure: his physical identity has made him memorable, but his deployment has stopped him from being a regular lineup selection.
The next decision has real ramifications at the age of 25. Xhekaj may find himself in the same ambiguous situation if he spends another season competing for the last defensive spot.
Now, Montreal must determine whether there is enough space for Xhekaj to develop under St-Louis or if his greatest chance to become an everyday NHL defenseman lies elsewhere.
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