(Mont-Tremblant) Rookie players received so much responsibility last season with the Canadiens that it became difficult to evaluate their work effectively.
Now that the group is healthy and a new campaign is beginning, the opportunity is great to take a more specific interest in some of them. Notably Arber Xhekaj.
A year ago, the defender instantly became a crowd favorite. Never drafted, he aroused admiration by reaching the NHL through hard work and patience. And certain elements of his game, notably his toughness and offensive flair, have made him a regular on highlight compilations.
However, while no less than nine healthy defenders are still at Habs training camp, where does Xhekaj place himself in the hierarchy at his position? Will Joel Edmundson’s departure give him more ice time on the left flank? Will we move him to the right side, one of the club’s weaknesses? Or will he have to settle for the role of seventh defender and skip his turn from time to time?
Because as well to call it coldly, the coaching staff protected Xhekaj by removing him from the most complex defensive missions. Despite this, he did not offer particularly inspired performances in his zone.
To see more clearly, La Presse looked at the attackers that the Canadiens’ nine main defenders faced most often in 2022-2023 at five against five. Unsurprisingly, David Savard and Mike Matheson shared the most thankless task. No less than 9 of the 10 forwards who spent the most time on the ice against Savard were among the top 50 scorers on the circuit. And 7 out of 10 for Matheson.
The attacker that Kaiden Guhle had to block the longest? Sidney Crosby. That says a lot about the baptism he received in his first year on the circuit.
What about Xhekaj? His most staunch opponent was Blake Coleman. After him: Anthony Cirelli, Wyatt Johnston and Pat Maroon. Players who play on the third, or even fourth, line of their team.
We also quantified the total offensive production of the group of 10 attackers associated with each CH defender. The result, expressed as an average of points per match, speaks for itself.
The 10 forwards David Savard faced most often at five-on-five last season produced, overall for the season, at a rate of more than a point per game. Among them: Sidney Crosby, Tim Stützle, Brayden Point, Auston Matthews… Matheson and Edmundson faced slightly inferior, albeit comparable, opposition.
Among the recruits, it was of course Guhle who received the toughest assignments. Jordan Harris appears quite early in this ranking, proof of the confidence he has also acquired.
Far behind, there is Xhekaj. Often paired with Chris Wideman, the club’s most protected defender, he essentially faced support players… with varying degrees of success. Despite this weaker opposition, his team got just 42% of expected goals when on the ice at five-on-five, and just 39% of quality scoring chances, according to specialist site Natural Stat Trick. For comparison, these indicators are 47% and 46% for Harris, who faced better players.
Wideman, Justin Barron and Xhekaj are also the only three backs on the team who were used on more faceoffs in the offensive zone than in defensive territory at even strength. Xhekaj, moreover, barely played shorthanded.
So let’s return to our basic question: what can, or should we, expect from Arber Xhekaj in 2023-2024?
“I have to be a reliable defender,” the young man simply said Thursday morning after his team’s training. Whenever they call on me, the coaches have to know that I can close the play and that I will not make a risky play. I want to be a trustworthy guy. »
More specifically, he admits that his defensive game, especially in his zone, is his priority in camp. He must not, for example, try to apply a check to each of his presences.
“If I force the physical game, I get into trouble,” he admits. For a big guy like me, the body checks will come. »
Obviously, the conversation on this subject took place with Martin St-Louis and left no room for ambiguity. The two, separately, made the same speech almost word for word. “We know that Arber is good offensively,” noted the CH head coach. In the opposing zone, he is dangerous. But to play in this position, you have to be able to defend. He needs to continue to work on his defensive game. »
As with all young players, the biggest challenge is gaining consistency. To do things well, not just every other match or every other presence.
“When you’re a rookie, it’s difficult to maintain consistency,” admitted St-Louis. Especially in this position. But at some point, consistency has to start to come. And this is where the responsibilities start to increase too. »
It is also fair to say that Xhekaj, as sparkling as he may be, must still prove that he is ready to face, with regularity, the best opposing players.
The club’s management said it expects all its players to show progress over the coming months. If the giant at number 72 finds himself on the ice against Crosby, Kucherov or Matthews during the winter, he will be able to consider that he has, at least partially, achieved his objective.
