Arber Xhekaj traded: he would be the price to pay to acquire MN

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David St-Jean
June 3, 2024 (10:11)

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If you ask Canadiens fans, very few will say they hope to see Arber Xhekaj in another uniform, but it could be possible.

Indeed, the future top 4 on defense seems to greatly please Kent Hughes, and although the Canadiens need Xhekaj, there are other more pressing needs to fill, such as a top 6 forward.

It is in this sense that I understand Jean-Charles Lajoie's proposal, which mentions that to acquire Necas, it would take at least Xhekaj.

"In my opinion, there is no doubt that it will be Necas for Xhekaj, just as it was Romanov for Dach two years ago. Xhekaj and a draft pick, ideally the Canadiens' first pick in the second round, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's the famous Jets' first-round pick obtained in the Sean Monahan trade." - Jean-Charles Lajoie

It's certain that Xhekaj is and will become a big piece for the Canadiens, but Kent Hughes will have decisions to make.

Martin Necas is far from a weak player, and acquiring him will be costly.

"In my opinion, [Martin Necas] is much superior to Alex Newhook, and I assume that the combo with Kirby Dach would be perfect, especially since if Dach were to miss any games next season, Necas would become a high-level insurance policy to cover for the absence of the young center, who has been either very fragile, very unlucky, or a bit of both, so far." - Jean-Charles Lajoie

It's certain that injuries to Kirby Dach are starting to become worrisome. He just missed an entire season and has not yet crossed the 70-game mark in a season since his debut five years ago.

Last year, he played only 58 games with the Canadiens, recording an encouraging 38 points.

As for Necas, he has played 78, 82, and 77 games in recent seasons, which is much more acceptable.