Xhekaj (shoulder) will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder next week.
Xhekaj has already been out for six games, and now his rookie year will come to a close. The 22-year-old defenseman ended with 13 points, 159 hits, 101 PIM, 75 shots on goal and 46 blocked shots in 51 contests. He is already on injured reserve, and it's unclear if his recovery from the surgery will impact him ahead of next season's training camp.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Added to IR
Rotowire
Xhekaj (upper body) was placed on IR on Saturday.
Xhekaj appears to be in for an extended absence after suffering an upper-body injury Sunday against Edmonton. Per the Canadiens, the 22-year-old blueliner will meet with a specialist before any further updates are provided. Xhekaj has five goals, eight assists and 159 hits through 51 games in his rookie season. Corey Schueneman, who was recalled Saturday, is expected to slot into the lineup.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Out indefinitely
Rotowire
Xhekaj is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.
Xhekaj has provided 13 points, 75 shots on goal, 46 blocks and 157 hits in 50 games during his rookie season. He left Sunday's 6-2 win over Edmonton following a second-period fight with Vincent Desharnais. The Canadiens defender will be replaced in the lineup by Chris Wideman on Tuesday against Chicago.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Remains unavailable against Hawks
Rotowire
Xhekaj (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's clash with Chicago, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Considering Xhekaj is pointless in his last 14 contests, his absence is unlikely to impact the majority of fantasy players. In his stead, Chris Wideman will suit up for just the third time in the Habs' last 11 contests. Even once cleared to play, Xhekaj's lack of offensive upside will make him a low-end fantasy target at best.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Won't return Sunday
Rotowire
Xhekaj (undisclosed) won't return to Sunday's game against Edmonton.
Xhekaj racked up nine PIM in 10:16 of ice time prior his exit. He left the contest following a fight with Vincent Desharnais of the Oilers. The 22-year-old rookie blueliner went into Sunday's contest with 13 points, 75 shots on goal, 46 blocks and 157 hits in 50 games.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Helps on lone goal
Rotowire
Xhekaj had an assist, two shots on goal, two hits, two blocked shots and two penalty minutes over 14:23 of ice time in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Rangers.
Xhekaj fed Joel Armia who eventually slipped the puck past Jaroslav Halak for Montreal's lone goal. While the team overall has starved for offense of late, Xhekaj has done his part. The defenseman has one goal and four assists over the last eight games.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Adds to power play
Rotowire
Xhekaj had a power-play goal and assist in Thursday's 7-2 loss to Carolina. He added three shots on goal and three hits over 19:26 of ice time.
Xhekaj gave Montreal's last-in-the-NHL power play a lift in the first period as a response to Aleksander Barkov's hat trick. The rookie defenseman, who averages 39 seconds on the power play, was added to the unit this week and skated a combined 7:43 with the man advantage in losses to the Lightning and Hurricanes. He told Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette that being on the power play is "starting to click." Xhekaj has three points on the power play over 34 games.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Pockets assist Monday
Rotowire
Xhekaj registered an assist and two hits in Monday's 3-2 overtime win over the Coyotes.
Xhekaj was initially credited with the Canadiens' second goal, but it was later determined Christian Dvorak tipped his shot in. The helper ended a six-game point drought for Xhekaj. He saw 16:11 of ice time Monday, his highest mark since Dec. 3, and he could be in line for a long-term boost with news of Mike Matheson (lower body) being out indefinitely. The Canadiens are also missing David Savard (upper body), so Xhekaj shouldn't have to worry about his place in the lineup for a while. He has nine points, 46 shots on net, 92 hits, 63 PIM, 25 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating through 30 contests.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Returns to lineup, scores
Rotowire
Xhekaj scored a goal on two shots over 16:05 of ice time in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Columbus.
A scoreless game after two periods broke open in the third. Ninety seconds after the Blue Jackets opened the scoring, Xhekaj's shot from the point made it through traffic for his third goal of the season. The blueline carousel continued for Montreal; Xhekaj and Johnny Kovacevic were back in the lineup Wednesday after being healthy scratches Tuesday. They replaced Chris Wideman and Jordan Harris.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Role could change
Rotowire
Xhekaj practiced on the fourth line during Friday's practice, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports.
Xhekaj had been paired with Joel Edmundson, but Mike Matheson (abdomen) replaced him Friday in the injured defenseman's first full-contact practice. The arrangement of the defense Friday suggests Matheson will play Saturday while Xhekaj appears to be the odd man out. It's unclear what the Canadiens plan to do with Xhekaj, who's made a name for himself as a rookie while showing some offensive potential.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Active in loss
Rotowire
Xhekaj had one shot on net, five hits, six blocked shots and two penalty minutes in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to New Jersey.
Xhekaj led all Montreal blueliners in TOI and continues to impact games as rookie in the NHL. He leads the Canadiens with 58 hits (eighth in league) and 35 PIM, while ranking sixth with 19 blocks.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Scores in win
Rotowire
Xhekaj scored a goal on two shots, adding one hit and two penalty minutes over 19:19 of ice time in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Canucks.
Sean Monahan won an offensive-zone draw back to the point, where Xhekaj's wrister avoided multiple bodies and eluded a screened Thatcher Demko for the Canadiens' second goal. It was the second strike for the defenseman, whose legend in Montreal grows by the game. The rookie blueliner has four points and leads the team with 49 hits and 35 PIM over 14 contests.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Nets first NHL goal and adds assist
Rotowire
Xhekaj scored a goal and added an assist in a 5-2 loss to the Stars on Saturday.
He scored his first NHL goal when he fired a wrist shot stick side on Jake Oettinger through traffic from the point. Xhekaj has quickly become a fan favorite in Montreal. He had his first fight Thursday against Zack Kassian of the Coyotes and got his first goal Saturday. Xhekaj has three points, 13 PIM, 26 hits and seven shots in five games.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Fells Kassian in first fight
Rotowire
Xhekaj had three shots on net, three hits, a five-minute major and finished plus-1 over 17:40 of ice time in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Coyotes.
Arizona's Zack Kassian attempted to motivate his club, which had fallen behind 3-0 midway through the first period, and picked the wrong cat with which to tangle. Xhekaj, who's made a name for himself as a physical defenseman, went right after Kassian and eventually threw him down. The Coyotes' veteran headed to the locker room following the bout but later returned. It was the first fighting major for Xhekaj, who has 13 PIM (tied for third in NHL) and 19 hits (tied for ninth) through five games.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Logs first NHL point
Rotowire
Xhekaj had an assist, three hits and three blocked shots over 15:05 of ice time in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Washington.
Xhekaj's shot from the point was blocked in front of goalie Darcy Kuemper, but Nick Suzuki retrieved the puck and spun for a wraparound goal. Xhekaj's one of several young defensemen playing a larger-than-expected role. Initially, he's been good at taking the body, but it remains to be seen how much he can contribute offensively. Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic talked about the young defenders learning to jump-start the offense from the back end, an element that's been missing early due to Jeff Petry no longer being around and Mike Matheson's abdomen injury idling him for the next two months. Xhekaj showed some flashes on the rush against the Capitals, as did Jordan Harris, but until they become more proficient at that aspect of the game, Montreal's blueliners may not provide many points.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Logs six hits in loss
Rotowire
Xhekaj recorded two shots on net, six hits, three blocked shots and two PIM in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Red Wings.
Xhekaj (pronounced Jack-Eye) is one of the inexperienced blueliners the Canadiens are using with both Joel Edmundson (lower body) and Mike Matheson (abdomen) unavailable to start the season. The 6-foot-4 defenseman has thrown around his body with 10 hits and four blocked shots over the first two games of his NHL career.
