Reporter makes a surprising statement on one of the Habs' young defensemen who could start the year in Laval
In an article on Montreal Hockey Now, Marc Dumont made a rather controversial statement regarding the potential lineup of the Montreal Canadiens for the 2023-2024 season.
According to him, Arber Xhekaj could be forced to start the season with the Laval Rocket due to the surplus of defensemen in the organization.
Wow! It's a safe bet that the fans of the Canadiens don't share this opinion at all!
He even suggests that Jonathan Kovacevic, who had some good moments last season, should be ahead of number 72 in the team's hierarchy. Personally, while he is effective, the former Winnipeg Jets player does not possess major assets that differentiate him from his teammates, forcing Martin St-Louis' hand to use him in the lineup night after night.
Here is Marc Dumont's projection:
Second pair: Kaiden Guhle - Justin Barron
Third pair: Jordan Harris - Jonathan Kovacevic
Extra: Arber Xhekaj and Chris Wideman
He explains his point by mentioning that the Canadiens will have to make a decision regarding Arber Xhekaj, Justin Barron, and Chris Wideman. Moreover, since Xhekaj is the only defenseman eligible to play for the Laval Rocket without having to go through waivers, it would make sense, according to him, to send him to the AHL.
However, because he is not eligible for NHL waivers, I would not be surprised if Arber Xhekaj were sent to the American Hockey League, with the Laval Rocket, to get more playing time.
Wideman would then serve as the 7th defenseman for the Habs." - Marc Dumont
In our opinion, Arber Xhekaj absolutely must start the year with the main club. He is practically the only defenseman on the team, along with Kaiden Guhle, who can bring a physical aspect. Moreover, his ability to defend his teammates by dropping the gloves is immensely important in a lineup with so many smaller players.
In our view, there is no doubt that Xhekaj is untouchable!
Credits : Habs & LNH
| POLL | ||
Where do you think Xhekaj should start next season? | ||
| Montreal's 1st or 2nd pair | 26 | 27.7 % |
| Montreal's 3rd pair | 56 | 59.6 % |
| Montreal's extras | 2 | 2.1 % |
| Laval | 10 | 10.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
