The discussion around Arber Xhekaj is only getting louder, and the latest take puts the Montreal Canadiens defenseman’s future squarely back in the spotlight.
Stu Cowan believes Xhekaj would be better off with a fresh start elsewhere, and his reasoning comes down to one thing: opportunity. In Montreal, that opportunity is anything but certain under Martin St-Louis, and Cowan says a player still trying to carve out a bigger role can’t afford to be buried on the depth chart.
Xhekaj, 25, finished last season with 4 points in 65 games while working in a limited role. The numbers are modest, but his value has always been tied to more than offense. Even so, the concern is straightforward: if he’s not playing enough, how much can he really grow?
“The best thing I think at this point for Arber Xhekaj's career is to go somewhere else where they're going to play him.”
- Stu Cowan
That idea hasn’t come out of nowhere. Cowan had already raised the possibility of a “sign-and-trade” involving Xhekaj, and Anthony Di Marco has also suggested he doesn’t expect Xhekaj to remain in Montreal for long.
At the same time, Kent Hughes is believed to be searching for an experienced right-shot defenseman to skate beside Lane Hutson, which would only squeeze Xhekaj’s role further.
Not long ago, Serge Savard and other former Canadiens were pushing for Xhekaj to get more responsibility. The fan base has been saying plenty too. But the direction now feels different, and the gap between what people want and what the roster appears to be shaping into is hard to ignore.
For now, the sense is growing that Xhekaj’s next chapter could be written somewhere other than Montreal - and if that move comes with real minutes, there’s at least an argument that it could be the best thing for him.
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