Should Canadiens Trade Xhekaj | Montreal Canadiens News

Montreal Canadiens sit at 25th in offseason rankings and still need key pieces to be Stanley Cup contenders. With restricted free agents like Arber Xhekaj, Zach Bolduc, and Sasha Pastujov looming, time is running out. Xhekaj — a physical defenseman — has seen minimal ice time under coach Martin St-Louis and opted out of arbitration, hinting at a desire for a fresh start. With depth at defense already crowded by Kaiden Guhle and Adam Engstrom, trading Xhekaj makes strategic sense: it benefits both sides — he gets more playing time elsewhere, and Montreal gains assets to build around. At 25, staying as a seventh defenseman isn’t ideal for his career trajectory. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/059434df55c6c9c4