Surprising Turn Of Events For Arber Xhekaj And The Montreal Canadiens

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Nathan Leblanc
October 9, 2023 (10:38 PM)

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In a surprising move, the Montreal Canadiens have assigned Arber Xhekaj to the Laval Rocket along with Norlinder and Lindstrom. Despite all three defenseman being moved for cap purposes, only Xhekaj is expected to start the season for the Montreal Canadiens after having a successful pre-season camp. Not only will he be in the line-up, but he will also have additional responsibilities.

Montreal has a glaring weakness � the powerplay

The Montreal Canadiens find themselves facing an uphill battle in the second full season of their rebuilding phase. To have any hope of making the playoffs, they must address a glaring weakness from the previous season - their power play. Last year, the Canadiens ranked 29th in the NHL with a brutal 16.1% success rate on the power play, showing a slight improvement from their 31st ranking the season before at 13.7%.

Head coach Martin St. Louis acknowledged the team's inconsistency and emphasized the need for results. During the preseason, the Canadiens continued to struggle with a dismal 11% success rate on the power play.

Xhekaj could be the answer to the problem

One potential solution for the Canadiens' power-play struggles is the addition of defenseman Arber Xhekaj, whose powerful shot has already gained attention. Xhekaj's ability to get pucks through and his impressive shot, which even resulted in a puck going through the net during a preseason game, could make a significant impact.

Xhekaj is expected to be the power-play quarterback on the second unit. Despite not being known as an offensive defenseman like Mattias Norlinder or Logan Mailloux, Xhekaj's experience and grit was enough to make the NHL roster and he is the chosen defender to man the second unit, at least to start the season. We will see if he is up to the task and whether he can carve out some success in this role moving forward.

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