Arber Xhekaj is back in the rumor mill, and Martin St-Louis knows exactly why teams keep checking in on him.
The buzz here is not that the Montreal Canadiens are pushing him out the door. It's that rival front offices still see real value in a 25-year-old defenseman who can change the temperature of a game fast.
According to the report, several general managers recently contacted Kent Hughes to ask whether Xhekaj could be acquired. That matters, because it shows his market is still active even without Montreal shopping him.
That's the real story. Not an imminent trade, not a sudden shift, but a reminder that Xhekaj remains a name other teams circle when they want more edge on the blue line.
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His appeal isn't hard to read. Xhekaj brings pushback, protects teammates, finishes checks, and forces opponents to keep their heads up when the game gets nasty.
Players with that profile don't sit on the market very often. He's still young, he's already established a clear identity, and clubs around the league know that kind of bite gets louder when the games get tighter.
Montreal has leverage in a Xhekaj trade
The Canadiens also have a roster angle working in the background. On the left side, Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, and Mike Matheson already occupy major spots, which naturally fuels outside calls.
That depth is why teams keep testing Hughes. They see a crowded blue line and wonder whether Montreal might cash in from a position of strength.
But the report makes one point clear: there's no sign a move is close. Hughes has repeated that he won't move an important piece just to make a trade, and that line still applies here.
So if Xhekaj is dealt, the return would need to sting in the right way for the other side. Montreal is not giving away a defenseman who wears No. 72 and brings a dimension this roster doesn't have in abundance.
That's why this rumor has legs. It's easy to understand why contenders would want him, especially with playoff-style hockey always rewarding defenders who can hold a line and push a series off script.
For now, the most likely outcome is simple. Arber Xhekaj stays with the Canadiens, and the calls keep coming because teams know Montreal has something they'd love to add.
Should the Canadiens shut down all Arber Xhekaj trade talks?
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