The Montreal Canadiens are known for their impressive roster of prospects. With recent additions like Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Michael Hage, and Jacob Fowler, along with an already established young core, the team’s future looks promising. Key players such as Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Kaiden Guhle, and Arber Xhekaj are all 23 years old or younger, with Nick Suzuki serving as team captain at just 24.
Despite this strong foundation, the Canadiens are still seeking to enhance their lineup, particularly by adding another forward to strengthen their top-6. Steven Ellis recently addressed this topic, noting that the prospect pool could benefit from more high-energy forwards. He emphasized the need for players who, while they might not score 20-30 goals, consistently bring energy, physicality, and strong defensive play—qualities exemplified by Florian Xhekaj.
Doing an AMA on @HabsOnReddit now, so come join: https://t.co/oE50fliqLk
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) July 26, 2024
Although Florian Xhekaj was a fourth-round pick and his chances of becoming a regular NHL player may seem slim, his potential cannot be disregarded. The progress of his brother, Arber Xhekaj, suggests that Florian could also make significant strides. Players with a similar playing style to what Ellis described, such as Michael Pezzetta, are often valuable even if their chances of becoming regulars are limited. Pezzetta, for example, is a solid option as a 13th forward.
Players like Florian Xhekaj might be acquired through lower-cost transactions or waivers. They often emerge as valuable assets even if they don’t become stars. While Florian may not rise to a top-6 role, he could still contribute positively to the team’s bottom-6.
https://twitter.com/Diandra_loux/status/1816894663980187896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1816894663980187896%7Ctwgr%5Ebe0fed96a8281572e73d08e6c055127a28f9cfc2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdose.ca%2F2024%2F07%2F26%2Fthe-habs-need-more-guys-like-florian-xhekaj%2F
In other news, the Canadiens’ head coach anticipates that the departure of Steven Stamkos will benefit the team, and there is excitement around the upcoming matchups and new player pairings.
https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1816999677595726111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1816999677595726111%7Ctwgr%5Ebe0fed96a8281572e73d08e6c055127a28f9cfc2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdose.ca%2F2024%2F07%2F26%2Fthe-habs-need-more-guys-like-florian-xhekaj%2F
