Arber Xhekaj's future in Montreal has taken a troubling turn, leaving Martin St-Louis with another difficult decision on his blue line.
The message surrounding Xhekaj is becoming harder to ignore. Journalist Stu Cowan believes the best move for the defenceman's career would be leaving the Canadiens for an organization willing to play him regularly.
That assessment cuts directly into the story of Xhekaj's time in Montreal. He carved out a recognizable place through his size, physical edge and willingness to stand up for teammates, giving the Canadiens something different on the back end.
But securing a permanent spot under St-Louis has been another matter. Xhekaj spent last season being used largely as a sixth or seventh defenceman, with his place in the lineup never completely secure.
That uncertainty has followed him into another offseason. With training camp approaching, Xhekaj still doesn't have a contract, while the competition for minutes in Montreal remains crowded.
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Jayden Struble represents one of the most immediate obstacles. Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle also occupy major spots on the Canadiens' blue line, making regular deployment difficult to guarantee.
Arber Xhekaj faces a defining Canadiens decision
That's why Cowan's message carries weight. His concern isn't that Xhekaj lacks useful NHL qualities, but that limited minutes could prevent him from getting the repetitions needed to improve.
Defensive consistency has remained the pressure point. Montreal wants better decisions with the puck and more reliability from Xhekaj before expanding his responsibilities.
The difficult part is that those improvements often require playing through mistakes. A player rotating in and out of the lineup has fewer opportunities to settle into rhythm and build trust.
Xhekaj's Canadiens run has essentially been defined by that contrast: his physical identity has made him memorable, while his deployment has prevented him from becoming an automatic lineup choice.
At 25, the next decision carries real consequences. Another season fighting for the final defensive spot could leave Xhekaj in the same uncertain position.
Montreal now has to decide whether there's enough room for Xhekaj to grow under St-Louis or whether his best opportunity to become an everyday NHL defenceman will come somewhere else.
Should Arber Xhekaj leave Montreal for a bigger role?
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