Arber Xhekaj scratched from the lineup: Martin St-Louis has his hands tied
The Montreal Canadiens have kept seven defensemen, two goaltenders, and 14 forwards in their 23-player roster, and Arber Xhekaj could very well be the odd man out.
Indeed, there will be a rotation, and one defenseman will always be left out, while two forwards will face the same fate. Before his injury last year, it seemed impossible that Xhekaj would be a healthy scratch, but times have changed.
When paired with David Savard, Arber Xhekaj was a transformed defenseman. It's incredible how much presence he had and how well he made decisions.
Now, he finds himself in a position where he could be scratched for the first game, and it could very well be Martin St-Louis's decision.
Jayden Struble had a very good camp and plays a robust game, which will be an asset against the Maple Leafs. However, he underwent treatment on Monday and left practice after 20 minutes on Tuesday, not returning afterward.
He is clearly hampered by an injury, which ties Martin St-Louis's hands. In summary, the coach's decision to use Arber Xhekaj on the third pair in today's practice is not necessarily based on merit, but rather because he has no choice.
Expect a rotation between Justin Barron, Arber Xhekaj, and Jayden Struble throughout the season. Even though Xhekaj is very useful, we know St-Louis won't hesitate to send him a message.
Against the Toronto Maple Leafs, things are bound to get physical. Personally, I would have paired Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj on the third pair against them.
| POLL | ||
In your opinion, is Justin Barron still here simply because he is a right-handed defenseman? | ||
| Yes | 111 | 83.5 % |
| No | 22 | 16.5 % |
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