Georges Laraque makes shocking prediction about the future of Arber Xhekaj in Montreal

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Tom Banks
October 22, 2024 (8:01 PM)

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The Montreal Canadiens have quite the young roster as they look to rebuild, but according to one legend, Arber Xhekaj may not be a part of their long-term plans.

The future of the Montreal Canadiens blue line is certainly very promising, with the likes of David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, and Lane Hutson leading the way, with the polarizing Arber Xhekaj potentially becoming the odd man out. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that The Sheriff will miss his second straight game as a healthy scratch, leading to plenty of frustration from the young defenseman.

At 23 years of age, Xhekaj has shown the ability to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the NHL in the physicality department, but unfortunately his production beyond that has been disappointing, to the point where he no longer has a guaranteed spot in the lineup.

Now, it's potentially going one step further, as former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque now believes Xhekaj will likely be traded by Montreal at some point shortly.

«There are teams interested in his services, and if they get him, he won't be coming out of the lineup like he does in Montreal. Xhekaj knows this, and so does his agent The Canadiens will eventually trade Arber Xhekaj.»

Through 100 games of his career, the former undrafted defenseman has tallied 23 points along with 184 penalty minutes and a -7 differential, and while he can be a difference maker as a physical threat, his future in the league is uncertain. If Laraque is right and there's interest around the league, it would be wise of Kent Hughes to explore that, and if he can find a willing trade partner, don't be shocked if this happens in the next 12 months.