It's confirmed by Martin St-Louis: Arber Xhekaj's limited playing time is for a very specific reason

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David St-Jean
February 8, 2024 (3:52 PM)

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It was on Wednesday that Tony Marinaro expressed strong frustration over the fact that Arber Xhekaj is not getting enough playing time. According to him, young players need playing time to develop, and the sheriff doesn't have enough.

Tony even mentioned players like Kirby Dach, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Jayden Struble, among others, who have more playing time and are able to develop.

I believe that to receive, you must give. The other mentioned players provide quality time to St-Louis, while Xhekaj repeats the same mistakes. He simply is not ready to take on more responsibilities. Playing time must be earned.

This is the context in which the coach addressed the question posed to him during the press conference.

"You know, I say it all the time... Make mistakes, and stop making the same ones... You have to learn from your mistakes a little bit there, you know... So no, he had good time in Laval, I saw him play in Laval, and I think he needs more repetitions at this stage, to really get used to the NHL game, which is faster." - Martin St-Louis, on Arber Xhekaj

Xhekaj has the right attitude, and he is working hard. Martin knows he needs to play more, but he's waiting for the right moment.

Personally, I tend to trust him. Just look at his management of Juraj Slafkovsky or Josh Anderson. Arber Xhekaj will become a better player, and he will get the minutes that come with it in the not-so-distant future.