Montreal Canadiens Arber Xhekaj Trade Buzz Heats Up: Darren Dreger Reveals Surging Interest in the Defenseman

PUBLICATION

Graham Montgomery
November 2, 2024 (8:56)

SHARE THIS STORY

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been at the center of attention this season due to trade speculation, and has Darren Dreger confirm league interest.

The latest insider to comment on Arber Xhekaj's is TSN's Darren Dreger. Dreger joins a growing list of insiders and analysts that have mentioned the young Canadiens blueliner in trade talks lately. He revealed earlier today that the situation is a lot more complicated than we might think, and mentioned that there are a 'double-digit' number of teams around the NHL that are interested in trading for him. Dreger also cautioned us by saying that the Canadiens believe he could be a legitimate part of their future as well.

"If Kent Hughes ever decided to put Arber Xhekaj on the trade block, there'd be double-digit teams interested in Arber Xhekaj. The style of his game when he keeps it in check, he can be a very influential and very impactful player, I think the Canadiens believe that's part of their future as well."

Arber Xhekaj Dominates Opponents and Headlines

All of this speculation started last month when NHL insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes had begun taking calls, specifically about Xhekaj. This came after Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis made headlines by laying into Xhekaj with some strong comments in a post-game press conference.

So we now know that both Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun have heard rumblings about Xhekaj's future with the Canadiens. But who else might know something about what is really going on?

Popular French-Canadian analyst Jean-Charles Lajoie predicted last month that Xhekaj would be traded, saying that he is 'not in their medium-term plans', though this seems to contradict Dreger's comment saying that the team believes he could still be a part of their future.

The Habs currently sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, tied with the Boston Bruins. For a team that was expected to take a step forward this season, it has not been a good start and Xhekaj's inconsistent play has certainly been a part of that.

After all, there is a reason why St. Louis has made him a healthy scratch in 3 of their 11 games so far and only played him a few minutes per night. At the end of the day though, only so much blame can be put on a single bottom-pair defenseman. The rest of the team needs to pull their weight as well and that simply is not happening consistently enough this season. Hopefully, Patrik Laine's return to the lineup can spark the team, otherwise it could be another long season in Montreal.