Martin St-Louis had nothing but praise for Arber Xhekaj after the Canadiens' preseason win over the Maple Leafs Saturday night.
"He was physical," St-Louis said after the game. "There comes a moment when the game slows down for you."
That's the kind of line that sticks, especially for a defenseman who signed a one-year contract with Montreal just days before camp opened.
Xhekaj played 21:31 on Saturday, adding two shots on goal in a 4-1 road win over Toronto.
St-Louis didn't just hand him big minutes either. He moved Xhekaj through different roles, including a stint on the penalty kill.
Why test a physical, stay-at-home defenseman on special teams during an exhibition game? Because camp is exactly when you find that out.
There was also a moment in the penalty box that had people buzzing. What exactly happened there depends on who you ask.
Kaiden Guhle's absence opens a bigger door for Xhekaj
Kaiden Guhle is out and expected to miss four to five weeks, which changes the math on Montreal's back end heading into October.
That absence pushes St-Louis to mix and match his pairings, and Xhekaj's physical edge gives him an obvious card to play right now.
The competition behind him isn't standing still. David Reinbacher logged 20:04 that night, and Adam Engstrom played 18:17 in the same lineup.
Even Xhekaj's brother got in on it. Florian Xhekaj picked up an assist and took seven penalty minutes in that same 4-1 win.
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A one-year contract buys opportunity, not security. It's an audition, not a signed lease, and Xhekaj still has to win his job every single day before opening night.
Montreal has won back-to-back preseason games and sits 2-0-0 over its last 10 outings, whatever early exhibition form ends up being worth.
Roster cuts start September 26. Xhekaj gets one more real test Monday, when the Canadiens host the Senators, before that call gets made.
Nothing about this lineup is settled. St-Louis still has a full week to sort out his back end before the opener matters for real.
Should Arber Xhekaj's physical play earn him a full-time roster spot over David Reinbacher this season?
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