Arber Xhekaj remains a Canadiens defenseman under Martin St-Louis, but the Philadelphia Flyers are suddenly dominating the conversation around his future.
Anthony Di Marco pushed that connection further, reporting that Philadelphia is a team that has been heard “quite a bit” regarding Xhekaj.
That matters because this no longer sounds like several clubs casually checking on availability. One destination keeps resurfacing while another potential landing spot appears to be fading.
Di Marco said he spoke with someone in Calgary weeks ago who indicated the Flames had interest in Xhekaj. That interest may have cooled after Calgary acquired Jacob Middleton.
Take Calgary out of the picture, or even move the Flames further down the board, and Philadelphia's position becomes much harder to ignore.
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The Flyers also make sense from a roster identity standpoint. Rick Tocchet has a defenseman in Xhekaj who plays with an edge, protects the front of the crease and brings a physical element that changes the temperature of a game.
Philadelphia keeps surfacing around Arber Xhekaj
Nothing in Di Marco's report confirms that Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has agreed to move Xhekaj. But repeated Philadelphia chatter carries more weight when competing interest starts disappearing.
That puts Flyers general manager Daniel Briere in an interesting spot. If Montreal is genuinely willing to listen, Philadelphia has now been connected often enough that any serious Xhekaj discussion has to start there.
For the Canadiens, this would be more than moving a depth defenseman. Xhekaj brings a dimension that isn't easily replaced when games get heavy along the walls and around the crease.
But Montreal also has decisions to make on its blue line, and Xhekaj's name continuing to surface suggests teams believe there may be an opening.
Philadelphia is the part of this rumour that refuses to go away. Calgary was interested. That path may have cooled. The Flyers are still sitting directly in the middle of the discussion.
Until a deal is completed, Xhekaj's next destination cannot be called confirmed. Right now, though, Di Marco's reporting has made Philadelphia look like the clear team to watch if Montreal decides to move him.
Will Arber Xhekaj be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers?
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