The Montreal Canadiens wrapped up their offseason business on Tuesday by getting Arber Xhekaj signed to a new one-year contract worth $1.5 million.
It took nearly the whole summer, but the restricted free agent is back in Montreal after a deal that keeps the door open for both player and team. Xhekaj has spent the past four seasons with the Canadiens, appearing in 230 games and carving out a reputation as one of the roster’s most physical defensemen. He has piled up 642 total hits in that span and finished in the Top 2 on the team in three of those four seasons.
This was never really about whether Montreal wanted him or whether Xhekaj wanted to stay. The real issue was the role. By the end of last season, he had slipped into the seventh-defenseman spot and mostly played when injuries forced the team’s hand.
That picture could shift quickly this year. Kaiden Guhle could miss the start of the season, and that gives Xhekaj a real shot to earn a regular job on the blue line out of training camp.
A longer deal might have been the ideal outcome for Xhekaj, especially with the chance to stay in Montreal and potentially play alongside his brother Florian. But locking himself into something long term only made sense if there was a clear path to a nightly top-six role. There wasn’t much reason to do that without it.
The one-year contract gives the Canadiens flexibility, too. If Xhekaj earns his way into the lineup and plays well, Montreal will have to decide what to do when Guhle is ready to return. And if the Canadiens do decide to move him, he should have value on the trade market, with a midseason deal likely bringing back more than a summer move.
If Xhekaj stays put all season, the Canadiens at least get a better read on where he fits going forward. Alexandre Carrier is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, while Jayden Struble will be a restricted free agent. That means Kent Hughes should have a much clearer view of the long-term shape of his defense corps by 2027-28, and Xhekaj could finally be in line for the multi-year contract that keeps him there.
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