Flyers renew interest in Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj, reports David Pagnotta

Arber Xhekaj's name surfaced in Philadelphia on Wednesday, and the Flyers' interest in the Canadiens blueliner runs deeper than one phone call.

David Pagnotta said on DFO Insider that Philadelphia has had "a lot of interest" in the Montreal defenseman for a while and "poked around" on him throughout the summer.

Then came the hedge. "I don't know about recent," Pagnotta added, which leaves the door open without telling anyone whether the Flyers ever walked through it.

Think of a buyer who toured a house in July and still drives past it in October. Nothing's signed, but the car keeps slowing down.

And Philadelphia has every reason to keep slowing down. The Flyers are 0-2-2 and have been outscored 17-5 through four games.

The low point came September 30, when the Pittsburgh Penguins hung a 7-0 loss on them at home. Monday's 4-1 defeat in Tampa Bay didn't change the mood.

Rick Tocchet's defense corps is leaking goals early

Cam York sits at a -5 rating through four games. Jamie Drysdale, carrying a $6.5 million cap hit, has been held without a point.

Travis Sanheim is at -4 as well. That leaves three of Tocchet's regulars on the back end underwater together, and the season's barely a week old.

Now flip to Montreal. Xhekaj has dressed for all three Canadiens games, with no points and a -1 rating on a $1.5 million cap hit.

That price stands out in a room where Noah Dobson earns $9.5 million and Lane Hutson carries $8.85 million. On the cheap end of that group, Kent Hughes holds the leverage.

The Canadiens aren't cruising either. Tuesday's 6-4 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes left them at 1-1-1 heading into tonight's puck drop against Nashville.

Jakub Dobes owns an .857 save percentage, and Samuel Montembeault is listed day-to-day with an undisclosed issue. Moving a defenseman now would thin the wall in front of a shaky crease.

So would Hughes even pick up the phone? A team scoring 1.3 goals per game needs a finisher long before it needs another body on the blue line.

Chasing Xhekaj right now would be the wrong fix for Daniel Briere. It patches the back end while the forwards keep coming up empty night after night.

The Flyers visit Ottawa tonight, still searching for their first win. Another flat road effort and the summer chatter won't stay in the summer.

The two clubs meet for the first time November 21 in Montreal. Whether Briere's curiosity has turned into an offer by then is anyone's guess.

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