Florian Xhekaj’s brief appearance at Canadiens practice on the Bell Centre ice turned into an unsettling moment for Montreal, as the forward left after only a few minutes while visibly bothered by an injury, according to RDS reporter Patrick Friolet.
The early signs had been encouraging enough, but the session quickly shifted in the wrong direction. Xhekaj was seen grimacing any time he tried to pick up speed, a clear sign that something still isn’t right.
For Montreal, the timing adds another layer to an already tight roster situation. It would be a surprise to see Xhekaj play tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres, and the Canadiens had already marked October 13 as his earliest possible return date.
Practice was held at the Bell Centre instead of Brossard because of the team’s annual photo, and even though it wasn’t a game-day skate, it offered an early look at how the lineup could take shape. The bigger question now is whether the Canadiens need to change anything at all after Saturday’s 1-0 shootout win with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
The math is pretty simple. With Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov out, Montreal is down to just 11 healthy forwards without Xhekaj. That makes the 11-forward, seven-defenseman setup feel less like a choice and more like the only workable option.
Unless the Canadiens bring someone up from the Laval Rocket, St-Louis doesn’t have a 12th forward available. Xhekaj, who has played two games and carries a minus-4 rating, wasn’t locked into a lineup spot anyway.
The challenge for Montreal is keeping the lineup balanced. Going with seven defensemen, including the returning Kaiden Guhle, gives the blue line a boost but shrinks the team’s options up front.
For Xhekaj, the safest path is obvious: take the time needed and get back to 100% rather than forcing a return before he’s ready.
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For Montreal, that kind of framework matters because it hints at how steep the market would be before the Canadiens even get to the hardest part of the equation. Kent Hughes can check in, but the real obstacle may be getting Larkin's side to view Montreal as the right landing spot, and until that changes, the Canadiens are stuck watching a chase that looks expensive long before it looks realistic. [Read more 🡒]