The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defenseman Arber Xhekaj to a two-year, $2.6 million contract that will extend through the 2025-26 season. Xhekaj has spent the last two seasons with the Habs, appearing in 95 NHL games and scoring eight goals and 15 assists for a total of 23 points, with 182 penalty minutes.
Last season, he played 17 games with Laval, scoring three goals and eight assists for 11 points, as well as 34 minutes in penalties.
Prior to joining the Habs, the Hamilton, Ontario native played four seasons in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers and Hamilton Bulldogs, scoring 20 goals and 34 assists for 54 points in 161 games and winning the OHL Championship in 2022 with the Rangers.
Xhekaj is coming off a shoulder injury that restricted him to 44 games in the NHL last season.
There’s a lot to admire about the 23-year-old blueliner, who isn’t afraid to throw his body around and has demonstrated some offensive potential.
There is little doubt that the Canadians have a lot of young defenseman, and Xhekaj will have to work hard in training camp to earn a spot on the roster.
I expect Xhekaj to be Montreal’s third-pairing defenceman next season. Montreal also signed Florian Xhekaj, Arber’s younger brother, to an entry-level contract after selecting him in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
