Arber Xhekaj has the opportunity to ruin the Leafs after a controversial NHL decision: Will Toronto respond?

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Chris Gerics
September 29, 2024 (5:46 PM)

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Montreal Canadiens defender Arber Xhekaj has the chance to make the Maple Leafs lives miserable come season opener. Will the Maple Leafs send reinforcements?

After the gruesome knee on knee injury suffered by Montreal's Patrik Laine on Saturday night, it wasn't long before Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj took matters into his own hands ; assaulting Cedric Pare, the player who hit Laine in the first place.

While Xhekaj was levied the maximum available fine as laid out by the NHL and NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) it really amounts to peanuts as David Alter of The Hockey News pointed out and without a suspension it leaves Xhekaj open to cause chaos come opening night.

The news of the light amount regarding the fine has led many fans to feel cheated and upset with the decision:

Xhekaj was punished in game, given a 2, 5, and 10 minute penalty alongside an additional 10. That amounted to two instigator penalties, a five minute major for fighting and the 10-minute misconduct which led to him being ejected giving him 27 penalty minutes in the 1st period.

So where does that leave Toronto? Xhekaj being on the ice allows him to go after names such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, etc. With the Maple Leafs already dealing with injuries to Matthews and Nylander, they can't afford to have Xhekaj headhunting on opening night.

Enter Ryan Reaves.

A lot of flak has been given to Reaves for his defensive liability as a member of the Maple Leafs but he's on the ice mainly to throw bodies and throw fists and could be their lifeline against a Montreal team hellbent on exacting some vigilante justice. Reaves would stand toe to toe with Xhekaj even if the Canadiens defenseman outweighs him and Reaves can definitely hold his own, given his decade-plus of fighting on a professional level. It would be crucial for the Maple Leafs to set the tone early and by establishing Reaves as the protector and actually have him provide a spark; albeit not offensively.

The options for Toronto afterwards are slim. There's a chance that Marshall Rifai makes his way onto the Maple Leafs and he can definitely throw punches, but beyond that the team lacks a true enforcer as in the days of Tie Domi or Tiger Williams. If head coach Craig Berube wants to give the Maple Leafs that tough identity he craves, he'll line up Reaves with Xhekaj even if it ends up being on the opening faceoff. You know Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis will be looking for some justice and putting his enforcer out to start would try and intimidate Berube and the Leafs. Just putting Reaves' line out there and not letting the mind games work may end up being huge in the result at the end of the night.

Arber Xhekaj showed on Saturday that he was capable of dishing out some justice. Toronto has that capability too, they just have to unleash Reaves and let him show Xhekaj what it means to be an enforcer in the NHL.