For a second year in a row, it was made clear in the playoffs that the Montreal Canadiens needed to get tougher. Not necessarily bigger, but tougher. When the puck drops in the postseason, the intensity goes right up, and it shows in how much more physical the play becomes. The Habs have a lot of skillful players, but they’re not stacked when it comes to players ready to land big, bone-crushing hits.
Josh Anderson does what he can, and while he’s very good at it, his age shows as the playoffs move forward. The gritty winger has never shied away from physical play, but his style has landed him on the injury list a few times, and as the Canadiens moved through the rounds, the wear and tear started to show.
Advertisement
Could The Canadiens Land A Big Bounce-Back Candidate?
Potential Canadiens Draft Target: Tomas Chrenko
Will Canadiens’ Former Goaltender Keep Walking In Weber’s Footsteps Or Go Further?
Zachary Bolduc has shown he also has some potential when it comes to laying down punishment, but at 6-foot and 187 pounds, he could use some bulk. A prime candidate to bolster the Canadiens’ physicality could be A.J. Greer, but he probably won’t come cheap when he hits the free agency market on July 1st.
Kent Hughes is likely keeping tabs on a few players in the league who could come in and give the Canadiens more grit. Still, he’s no doubt also aware that Florian Xhekaj now has two years of professional hockey experience under his belt and that it could be worth allowing him to make the jump with the big team next season.
At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, the winger isn’t as big as his brother Arber Xhekaj, but he does know how to use his big body to good use. In 64 games with the Laval Rocket this season, the winger registered 29 points, including 17 goals and spent 182 minutes in the penalty box. The younger Xhekaj also knows how to fight, and since Martin St-Louis appears reluctant to give much ice time to the older Xhekaj, the youngster could offer a good alternative.
Advertisement
If the Canadiens can’t improve their bottom six via trade or free agency, it will be worth giving Xheakj a try. Pascal Vincent, the former coach of the Rocket, recently said on The Sick Podcast that he is a big fan of his, which is a pretty good endorsement.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens’ page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens’ roundtable on The Hockey News.
Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Read the full article here
