Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been given the No. 10 spot on Lyle Richardson’s latest NHL Trade Targets Big Board for Bleacher Report.
“The Montreal Canadiens were expected to make a significant trade for a second-line center or winger this summer. So far, however, that deal hasn’t happened yet. If it does, they could use defenseman Arber Xhekaj as part of a trade package,” Richardson wrote.
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When noting that Xhekaj has come up in the rumor mill this off-season and remains a restricted free agent, it is not necessarily surprising to see him being highlighted as a trade candidate to watch. There is no question that many teams would love to add his size and toughness to their blueline if he is officially made available by the Canadiens.
Yet, while Xhekaj has been continuing to be the subject of trade speculation, trading him would come with some real for the Canadiens. Big and tough defenseman like Xhekaj are never bad to have around, so it could hurt the Canadiens if they ended up moving him.
Furthermore, at just 25 years old, Xhekaj is still young enough that he could improve his game further. Due to this, there is certainly an argument to be made against the idea of trading Xhekaj.
In 65 games this past season with the Habs, Xhekaj posted one goal, four points, 116 penalty minutes, and 178 hits.
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