| Dec. 2, 2024 |
Xhekaj had an assist, two shots on net, two blocks, four hits and 12 PIM in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Bruins. - Xhekaj did the hard work on Montreal's first goal, moving the puck around Boston defenders before sending it to the crease where the puck bounced off Cole Caufield and into the net. It was his third assist of the season, all coming in the last seven games. He also channeled the longstanding Montreal-Boston rivalry and got into it with Mark Kastelic, with each picking up roughing and misconduct penalties. He leads the Canadiens with 37 PIM through 21 outings. |
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| Nov. 26, 2024 |
Xhekaj notched an assist, seven hits and two PIM in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to Utah. - Xhekaj helped out on an Alex Newhook tally in the third period. This was Xhekaj's second assist in the last four games, accounting for all of his offense this season. The physical defenseman has added 14 shots on net, 23 PIM, 44 hits, 16 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating over 18 outings. He has limited scoring upside, which in turn puts a cap on his usefulness in fantasy. |
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| Nov. 17, 2024 |
Xhekaj recorded an assist, two blocked shots, five PIM and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets. - Xhekaj was busy in the second period, fighting Mathieu Olivier before helping out on Nick Suzuki's tally shortly after serving his major penalty. The helper was Xhekaj's first point of the campaign. He's added 30 hits, 19 PIM, 12 blocked shots, 13 shots on goal and a minus-3 rating over 15 appearances. The 23-year-old defenseman could have some stability in the lineup if David Savard (upper body) is out beyond missing Saturday's contest. |
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| Oct. 26, 2024 |
Xhekaj had three hits in Saturday's 5-2 win over St. Louis. - Xhekaj was a healthy scratch for two straight games before returning to action in Saturday's victory. He got to play due to the absences of Justin Barron (upper body) and Kaiden Guhle (upper body). Xhekaj could get regular playing time due to Montreal's banged-up blue line. He has 13 hits over six appearances. |
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| Sept. 4, 2024 |
Xhekaj (shoulder) is skating with his Canadiens teammates ahead of training camp, per Luc Gelinas of RDS on Wednesday. - Xhekaj missed the final seven regular-season contests in 2023-24, but he's slated to be ready for the upcoming campaign. The 23-year-old defenseman had three goals, 10 points, 81 PIM and 125 hits across 44 outings last year. |
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| July 30, 2024 |
Xhekaj (shoulder) signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract with Montreal on Tuesday. - Xhekaj was limited to just 44 NHL games last season, in part due to his shoulder problem, but could be in the mix for a full-time lineup spot this upcoming campaign. Still, even if the blueliner does make the Opening Night roster, he is far from a lock for playing time and could find himself periodically sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch. He'll need to stave off the likes of Justin Barron to maintain a spot on the third pairing. |
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| April 9, 2024 |
Xhekaj (shoulder) will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. - Xhekaj played in 44 games for the Canadians this season, recording three goals and seven assists. He's expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 campaign. |
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| April 7, 2024 |
Xhekaj (upper body) will not play Sunday against the Rangers, per the NHL's media site. - Xhekaj has now missed two straight games and the team hasn't provided much of an update on his status. The 23-year-old blueliner has just one point in his last 10 appearances. Montreal's next game is Tuesday against the Flyers. |
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| April 6, 2024 |
Xhekaj (upper body) will not be in the lineup Saturday versus the Maple Leafs. - Xhekaj may have been injured in Thursday's game against Tampa Bay. The rugged defenseman has 10 points, 81 PIM, 125 hits and 49 blocked shots in 44 games this season. Look for Justin Barron to replace him in the lineup. |
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| March 13, 2024 |
Xhekaj had an assist, three shots on net, two blocks and three hits in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Columbus. - Xhekaj's slapshot was deflected home by Joshua Roy, giving Montreal a 3-0 lead six minutes into the game. It was the third assist in last six contest for Xhekaj, whose game has come around since partnering up with veteran David Savard on the second pair. |
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| March 3, 2024 |
Xhekaj had an assist, four shots on net, three blocks, five hits and a five-minute major penalty in Saturday's 4-3 shootout loss to Tampa Bay. - Xhekaj picked up the secondary helper on a Josh Anderson tally that gave Montreal a 3-2 lead early in the third period. It was the second straight game with an assist for Xhekaj. He leads Montreal with 65 PIM in just 30 games. |
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| Feb. 22, 2024 |
Xhekaj scored a goal on four shots along with one block and four hits in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Buffalo. - Xhekaj put Montreal on the board first, taking advantage of a puck that squirted out from behind the net and burying a slapper midway through the first period. It was the second consecutive game with a goal for Xhekaj, who got himself a new partner on defense in David Savard. Xhekaj has three goals and three assists over 25 games this campaign. |
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| Feb. 18, 2024 |
Xhekaj scored a goal on three shots and had one hit over 16:35 of ice time in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Washington. - Xhekaj unloaded a bomb from the point that eluded Darcy Kuemper for Montreal's first goal. It was the second goal of the season for Xhekaj and his first since being recalled from AHL Laval in late January. He's been in and out of the lineup since the recall, but Xhekaj is playing regularly now with Jordan Harris (upper body) sidelined. |
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| Feb. 7, 2024 |
Xhekaj had an assist and two blocked shots over 12:29 of ice time in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Capitals. - Xhekaj had one missed shot but it made a lot of noise, caroming off the post and onto the stick of Nick Suzuki, who scored his second goal in a span of 57 seconds. The helper was Xhekaj's first point since being recalled from AHL Laval on Jan. 22. |
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| Jan. 28, 2024 |
Xhekaj was a healthy scratch for Saturday's game against the Penguins. - Xhekaj had played in two straight games after a call-up from AHL Laval before taking a seat in the press box Saturday. Jordan Harris returned to the active lineup in place of Xhekaj. |
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| Jan. 24, 2024 |
Xhekaj had one block, three hits and two penalty minutes over 16:25 of ice time in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Ottawa. - Xhekaj rejoined the parent club after spending the last seven weeks in the AHL. He served on the third pair and was on ice for Montreal's lone goal. Xhekaj plays with an edge and could be useful for fantasy leagues that value hits and PIM. |
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| Jan. 22, 2024 |
Xhekaj was brought up from AHL Laval on Monday. - Xhekaj has one goal, two assists, 14 shots on net, 41 hits, 12 blocked shots and 47 PIM in 17 NHL outings this season. He could be back in the lineup Tuesday against Ottawa after Justin Barron was demoted to the minors Monday. |
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| Dec. 4, 2023 |
Xhekaj (upper body) was activated off injured reserve and then sent down to AHL Laval on Monday. - Xhekaj was sidelined for seven games due to his upper-body issue but will have to continue to wait before returning the the NHL lineup following his demotion. Prior to getting hurt, the Ontario native managed just three points in 17 outings and shouldn't be expected to offer much in the way of offensive upside, though he's also produced 41 hits and 47 PIM this season. |
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| Nov. 25, 2023 |
Xhekaj (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Friday. - The designation is retroactive to Xhekaj's last game, which was Nov. 16 against Vegas, so he can be activated whenever he is cleared to return. The blueliner did not travel with the team on the road. In a corresponding move, Montreal recalled Joel Armia from AHL Laval, and he will join the team for Saturday afternoon's tilt against the Kings. |
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| Nov. 20, 2023 |
Xhekaj (upper body) won't travel with his teammates Monday to California ahead of the Canadiens' three-game road trip, Arpon Basu of The Athletic reports. - As a result, Xhekaj is likely to miss Montreal's next three games, starting with Wednesday's contest versus Anaheim. He has picked up one goal, two assists, 47 PIM, 12 blocked shots and 41 hits across 17 outings this season. Montreal brought up Jayden Struble from AHL Laval on Monday to serve as an extra defender for the road trip. |
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| Nov. 18, 2023 |
Xhekaj (upper body) won't play Saturday against Boston, Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette reports. - Xhekaj is listed as day-to-day after sustaining an upper-body injury in Thursday's 6-5 loss to Vegas. He has supplied one goal, two assists, 47 PIM, 12 blocked shots and 41 hits in 17 games this season. Xhekaj will be replaced in the lineup by Jordan Harris (upper body), who will return from a two-game absence. |
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| Nov. 17, 2023 |
Xhekaj (upper body) is missing from practice Friday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports. - Xhekaj was injured in the second period Thursday against the Golden Knights and did not return. The defenseman has lots of fantasy value if your league uses PIM and hits as categories as he has 47 and 41 respectively in just 17 games. He is questionable at this time to play Saturday versus Boston. |
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| Nov. 16, 2023 |
Xhekaj suffered an upper-body injury and won't return to Thursday's game versus the Golden Knights. - Xhekaj appeared to injure his left shoulder after sustaining a hit. It's not his surgically repaired right shoulder, which was an injury that ended his 2022-23 campaign prematurely. The 22-year-old defenseman can be considered day-to-day until another update is available. |
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| Nov. 13, 2023 |
Xhekaj scored a goal on two shots in Sunday's 5-2 loss to Vancouver. The defenseman added one blocked shot and one hit to his line over 15:22 of ice time. - Xhekaj danced through several Vancouver defenders to score his first goal of the season with just 49 seconds left. The blueliner is mostly known for the edge with which he plays and racks up fantasy-worthy hits and penalty minutes. He leads the Habs with 47 PIM and is second at 38 hits. |
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| Oct. 23, 2023 |
Xhekaj posted an assist in Monday's 3-1 road victory against the Sabres. - The point was his first since also posting an apple in the wild 6-5 shootout loss Oct. 11 against the Maple Leafs. He also had a plus-1 rating, two shots on goal and a minor penalty, giving him at least one infraction in four of five games this season. Xhekaj has 23 penalty minutes through five outings, helping fantasy managers in pools rewarding bad behavior. |
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| Oct. 12, 2023 |
Xhekaj had an assist, three hits and 17 penalty minutes in Wednesday's 6-5 shootout loss to Toronto. - Xhekaj is no stranger to the physical side of hockey and wasted little time mixing it up. All three penalties -- two minutes for instigating a fight, five minutes for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct -- were assessed in the first period for his brawl with noted tough guy Ryan Reaves. He later produced an assist in the third period, when his shot from the point was tipped in by Alex Newhook. Xhekaj had 159 hits and 101 PIM over 51 games in 2022-23. |
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| Oct. 11, 2023 |
Xhekaj is expected to suit up for Montreal in Wednesday's season opener against Toronto, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports. - Xhekaj was not on the ice during Tuesday's practice, because the Canadiens sent him down to AHL Laval in what amounts to a paper transaction. Montreal general manager Kent Hughes had to juggle to get under the salary cap, hence sending the defenseman to the Rocket. Xhekaj should be in the lineup Wednesday as both Christian Dvorak (knee) and Carey Price (knee) have been added to long-term injured reserve. |
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| Oct. 9, 2023 |
Xhekaj was reassigned to AHL Laval on Monday, per CapFriendly. - Xhekaj could be back with Montreal before Wednesday's season opener in Toronto. The 22-year-old defenseman posted five goals and 13 points in 51 NHL games during his rookie campaign last year. |
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| Sept. 11, 2023 |
Xhekaj (shoulder) will be ready for the beginning of training camp, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports. - Xhekaj sat out the final 29 games of last season because of a shoulder injury. He racked up 101 PIM, 159 hits and 13 points in 51 appearances during his rookie campaign in 2022-23. Xhekaj will battle for a spot on Montreal's blue line during camp. |
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| Feb. 25, 2023 |
Xhekaj (shoulder) will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder next week. - Xhekaj has already been out for six games, and now his rookie year will come to a close. The 22-year-old defenseman ended with 13 points, 159 hits, 101 PIM, 75 shots on goal and 46 blocked shots in 51 contests. He is already on injured reserve, and it's unclear if his recovery from the surgery will impact him ahead of next season's training camp. |
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| Feb. 18, 2023 |
Xhekaj (upper body) was placed on IR Saturday. - Xhekaj appears to be in for an extended absence after suffering an upper-body injury Sunday against Edmonton. Per the Canadiens, the 22-year-old blueliner will meet with a specialist before any further updates are provided. Xhekaj has five goals, eights assists, and 159 hits through 51 games in his rookie season. Corey Schueneman, who was recalled Saturday, is expected to slot into the lineup. |
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| Feb. 14, 2023 |
Xhekaj (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's clash with Chicago, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports. - Considering Xhekaj is pointless in his last 14 contests, his absence is unlikely to impact the majority of fantasy players. In his stead, Chris Wideman will suit up for just the third time in the Habs' last 11 contests. Even once cleared to play, Xhekaj's lack of offensive upside will make him a low-end fantasy target at best. |
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| Feb. 12, 2023 |
Xhekaj (undisclosed) won't return to Sunday's game against Edmonton. - Xhekaj racked up nine PIM in 10:16 of ice time prior his exit. He left the contest following a fight with Vincent Desharnais of the Oilers. The 22-year-old rookie blueliner went into Sunday's contest with 13 points, 75 shots on goal, 46 blocks and 157 hits in 50 games. |
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| Jan. 6, 2023 |
Xhekaj had an assist, two shots on goal, two hits, two blocked shots and two penalty minutes over 14:23 of ice time in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Rangers. - Xhekaj fed Joel Armia who eventually slipped the puck past Jaroslav Halak for Montreal's lone goal. While the team overall has starved for offense of late, Xhekaj has done his part. The defenseman has one goal and four assists over the last eight games. |
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| Dec. 30, 2022 |
Xhekaj had a power-play goal and assist in Thursday's 7-2 loss to Carolina. He added three shots on goal and three hits over 19:26 of ice time. - Xhekaj gave Montreal's last-in-the-NHL power play a lift in the first period as a response to Aleksander Barkov's hat trick. The rookie defenseman, who averages 39 seconds on the power play, was added to the unit this week and skated a combined 7:43 with the man advantage in losses to the Lightning and Hurricanes. He told Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette that being on the power play is "starting to click." Xhekaj has three points on the power play over 34 games. |
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| Dec. 24, 2022 |
Xhekaj had an assist, three shots on goal, two hits and three blocked shots over 16:00 of ice time in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Stars. - Xhekaj sent a stretch pass to Michael Pezzetta who finished it off to give Montreal a 2-0 lead early in the second period. It was Xhekaj's 10th point and sixth assist over 32 games. The rookie blueliner also has 52 shots on goal, 96 hits and 29 blocked shots over 15:11 TOI/G. |
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| Dec. 19, 2022 |
Xhekaj registered an assist and two hits in Monday's 3-2 overtime win over the Coyotes. - Xhekaj was initially credited with the Canadiens' second goal, but it was later determined Christian Dvorak tipped his shot in. The helper ended a six-game point drought for Xhekaj. He saw 16:11 of ice time Monday, his highest mark since Dec. 3, and he could be in line for a long-term boost with news of Mike Matheson (lower body) being out indefinitely. The Canadiens are also missing David Savard (upper body), so Xhekaj shouldn't have to worry about his place in the lineup for a while. He has nine points, 46 shots on net, 92 hits, 63 PIM, 25 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating through 30 contests. |
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| Dec. 4, 2022 |
Xhekaj scored a power-play goal in Saturday's 5-3 loss to Edmonton. He had one shot on net, three hits and two penalty minutes over 17:24 of ice time. - Xhekaj was on the ice for a brief 5-on-3 man advantage and patiently found a shooting angle before whistling a wrister past Stuart Skinner to tie the game at 3-3. It was the first power-play goal for the rookie and fourth overall. He's been a healthy scratch twice in the last two weeks, but Xhekaj provided offense from back line when active. He has three points (two goals, one assist) over the last five games. |
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| Nov. 24, 2022 |
Xhekaj scored a goal on two shots over 16:05 of ice time in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Columbus. - A scoreless game after two periods broke open in the third. Ninety seconds after the Blue Jackets opened the scoring, Xhekaj's shot from the point made it through traffic for his third goal of the season. The blueline carousel continued for Montreal; Xhekaj and Johnny Kovacevic were back in the lineup Wednesday after being healthy scratches Tuesday. They replaced Chris Wideman and Jordan Harris. |
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| Nov. 20, 2022 |
Xhekaj had an assist, one shot on goal, two hits, one blocked shot and a five-minute major over 13:52 of ice time in Saturday's 5-4 shootout victory over the Flyers. - Mike Matheson made his season debut, so there was some juggling on the blue line, but Xhekaj, who wasn't part of the top three pairings at Friday's practice, got the starting nod over Jordan Harris. After the Flyers jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the first period, Xhekaj helped spark the comebacks when he sent a shot on net that was stopped; however, the ensuing battle for the puck was led to a Christian Dvorak goal. It was the fifth point in 18 games for Xhekaj, who also fought for the second straight game when he partnered with Nicolas Deslauriers in the second period. The rookie blueliner leads the NHL with 45 PIM. |
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| Nov. 19, 2022 |
Xhekaj practiced on the fourth line during Friday's practice, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports. - Xhekaj had been paired with Joel Edmundson, but Mike Matheson (abdomen) replaced him Friday, the injured defenseman's first full-contact practice. The arrangement of the defense Friday suggests Matheson will play Saturday while Xhekaj appears to be the odd man out. It's unclear what the Canadiens plan to do with Xhekaj, the rookie who's made a name for himself early in the season and shown some offensive potential. |
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| Nov. 16, 2022 |
Xhekaj had one shot on net, five hits, six blocked shots and two penalty minutes in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to New Jersey. - Xhekaj led all Montreal blueliners in TOI and continues to impact games as rookie in the NHL. He leads the Canadiens with 58 hits (eighth in league) and 35 PIM, while ranking sixth with 19 blocks. |
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| Nov. 10, 2022 |
Xhekaj scored a goal on two shots, adding one hit and two penalty minutes over 19:19 of ice time in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Canucks. - Sean Monahan won an offensive-zone draw back to the point, where Xhekaj's wrister avoided multiple bodies and eluded a screened Thatcher Demko for the Canadiens' second goal. It was the second strike for the defenseman, whose legend in Montreal grows by the game. The rookie blueliner has four points and leads the team with 49 hits and 35 PIM over 14 contests. |
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| Nov. 2, 2022 |
Xhekaj recorded three shots on net, two hits, one blocked shot and was assessed a 10-minute misconduct late in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Wild. - The game got chippy late in the third period after Minnesota's Marco Rossi shoved Juraj Slafkovsky into the boards. There were several penalties assessed following the incident, but Xhekaj was not on the ice at the time. He tried to get at Rossi less than a minute later, but officials were able to prevent him. Xhekaj leads Montreal with 25 PIM. |
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| Oct. 22, 2022 |
Xhekaj scored a goal and added an assist in a 5-2 loss to the Stars on Saturday. - He scored his first NHL goal when he fired a wrist shot stick side on Jake Oettinger through traffic from the point. Xhekaj has quickly become a fan favorite in Montreal. He had his first fight Thursday against Zach Kassian of the Coyotes and got his first goal Saturday. Xhekaj has three points, 13 PIM and seven shots in five games. |
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| Oct. 21, 2022 |
Xhekaj had three shots on net, three hits, a five-minute major and finished plus-1 over 17:40 of ice time in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Coyotes. - Arizona's Zack Kassian attempted to motivate his club, which had fallen behind 3-0 midway through the first period, and picked the wrong cat with which to tangle. Xhekaj, who's made a name for himself as a physical defenseman, went right after Kassian and eventually threw him down. The Coyotes' veteran headed to the locker room following the bout but later returned. It was the first fighting major for Xhekaj, who has 13 PIM (tied for third in NHL) and 19 hits (tied for ninth) through five games. |
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| Oct. 16, 2022 |
Xhekaj had an assist, three hits and three blocked shots over 15:05 of ice time in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Washington. - Xhekaj's shot from the point was blocked in front of goalie Darcy Kuemper, but Nick Suzuki retrieved the puck and spun for a wraparound goal. Xhekaj's one of several young defensemen playing a larger-than-expected role. Initially, he's been good at taking the body, and it remains to be seen if he contribute offense. Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic talked about the young defenders learning to jump-start the offense from the back end, an element that's been missing early due to Jeff Petry no longer being around and Mike Matheson's abdomen injury idling him for the next two months. Xhekaj showed some flashes on the rush against the Capitals, as did Jordan Harris, but until they become more proficient at this aspect of the game, Montreal's blueliners may not be a good source of points. |
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| Oct. 15, 2022 |
Xhekaj recorded two shots on net, six hits, three blocked shots and two PIM in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Red Wings. - Xhekaj (pronounced Jack-Eye) is one of the inexperienced blueliners the Canadiens are using with both Joel Edmundson (lower body) and Mike Matheson (abdomen) unavailable to start the season. The 6-foot-4 defenseman has thrown around his body with 10 hits and four blocked shots over the first two games of his NHL career. |
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| Oct. 11, 2022 |
Xhekaj, as expected, was recalled from AHL Laval on Tuesday. - Xhekaj had to make a brief stop in the minors on paper until the Habs officially placed Paul Byron (hip) on long-term injured reserve. With that move now complete, Xhekaj will link back up with the NHL squad ahead of Wednesday's season opener versus the Leafs. Whether the youngster suits up in the contest will likely depend on the health of Mike Matheson (lower body), though he could still edge out Kaiden Guhle or Johnny Kovacevic for a spot regardless. |
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| Oct. 10, 2022 |
Xhekaj was assigned to AHL Laval on Monday, but the move is believed to be only temporary, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports. - Xhekaj is slated to start the season with the Canadiens and will be available to play on Wednesday in the team's season opener versus Toronto. |
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