The Canadiens are still trying to sort out Arber Xhekaj’s place in the picture, and the clock is ticking toward training camp.
While Kent Hughes keeps working through bigger roster questions - from the search for a second-line centre to whether Columbus forward Kirill Marchenko is available in a trade and how to settle the three-headed monster in net - Montreal also has to decide what comes next for the rugged defenceman. Jayden Struble’s role is part of that puzzle, and so is the question of whether Adam Engstrom or David Reinbacher are ready to move up from AHL Laval.
Xhekaj remains unsigned even though training camp is only six weeks away. As a restricted free agent who made a team-friendly US$1.3 million last season, he does not have much leverage. Hughes controls his rights, which gives the Canadiens the upper hand in negotiations.
This deal really should already be finished. There is not much room for maneuvering here.
Xhekaj’s agent, Brian Bartlett, can likely push for a modest bump in the first year of a new contract, while Montreal may prefer a three-year deal to keep control of the asset as it figures out exactly what it has in Xhekaj. A one-year contract is also on the table if both sides want to keep evaluating the fit.
Bartlett did not file for arbitration, which helped avoid any unnecessary friction.
Bartlett, for his part, has kept the tone calm all summer and still believes a deal will get done.
"We have a long time until the season starts," Bartlett told The Gazette on Thursday. "We have to try and figure out where he fits into the structure of the team.
Montreal has some decisions to make. We have some decisions to make.
There's no panic.
"I think he's a really good player. Good teams like good players.
The communication has been positive with the management group. I don't have any indication to think that things are going to go off the rail."
Xhekaj’s size alone makes him an interesting fit for plenty of NHL teams, and there are 31 others out there who could make room for a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenceman. One source told The Gazette on Thursday that Toronto had interest in Xhekaj and former Canadiens forward Sean Monahan two seasons ago, though the Maple Leafs have since changed course with the summer hiring of GM John Chayka and Jim Hiller replacing the fired Craig Berube behind the bench.
Another source said Calgary showed interest in Xhekaj at last season’s trade deadline. More recently, the Flames and Philadelphia Flyers have been linked to the Montreal fan favourite.
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The reason the debate lingers is simple: the Canadiens were playing the long game, turning the package into rebuilding capital that helped them keep building out the roster and maneuver for other moves. Heineman and the draft picks became part of that larger asset pile, while Calgary had to decide whether the scoring it got in the moment was worth what it gave up. Even now, the trade sits right in the middle of the classic deadline dilemma: win now, or keep collecting pieces for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]