The rookie defenseman, Arber Xhekaj, quickly became a crowd favorite for the Canadiens this season due to his ability to drop the gloves as well as his knack for delivering bone-crushing checks to his opponents. He also managed to collect 11 points in 51 games with the Tricolore.

Unfortunately, during a brawl against Quebec native Vincent Desharnais of the Edmonton Oilers, the 22-year-old defenseman suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the rest of the regular season. Even though he was an important element in Martin St-Louis’ lineup, some fans wonder if Xhekaj will have a spot with the major team next season due to the surplus of defensemen in the organization.

As for his place in the lineup, some options lead to Xhekaj starting the season in the NHL, but it will be difficult to integrate him if all the players are healthy.

Players like David Savard and Joel Edmundson will likely be prioritized due to their veteran status, while Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Justin Barron, Mike Matheson, and Jonathan Kovacevic have all produced far better numbers than Xhekaj in 2022-23, while facing higher quality competition.

He could start the season as the seventh defenseman, but I believe it would be best for him to be assigned to the American League if Kent Hughes does not manage to trade Edmundson or Savard. – Marc Dumont

This statement has undoubtedly stirred reactions from many fans who greatly wish to see the defenseman start the year with the CH, but Marc Dumont’s explanation is very logical. At only 22, Arber Xhekaj needs to play several minutes to continue his development. If the defenseman is in uniform every other game, it would be much more beneficial for him to play with the Rocket.

Do you believe Arber Xhekaj deserves to start the season with the Canadiens?