We have now reached the end of July, and the Habs and RFA Arber Xhekaj have yet to reach an agreement on a contract. Now this is not an alarming situation, but fans are making a lot of noise for Xhekaj to be brought back into the fold for the 2026-2027 season and for him to have a meaningful role on the team.
I’m divided. I like the toughest and physicality Xhekaj brings as it is something the Habs lack but are the Canadiens serious about having him on the team long term?
2025-2026 numbers
I’m not a huge analytics guy as there are several other factors that go into it than mere numbers, but looking at his numbers they are average to below average across the board. So it’s not like he hops on the ice and the Habs are suddenly a far better possession team.
If anything, they are far worse.
Also, after posting a career high in games played at 65, he had a dramatic career low in average time on ice, going from 14:37 in 2024-2025, to 11:25 last year.
Now, not having a regular shift can absolutely contribute to poor xgp and +/- stats as you can never truly get your legs under you, but it can also indicate how the coaching staff has little confidence in your play.
Again I’m divided. However, if they truly want to keep him, he needs to play an average of 15-18 minutes to truly be effective.
Are the Habs serious?
There are several factors which have contributed to Xhekaj use the last few season and here they are:
The Habs have Jayden Struble who is the other player playing musical chairs with Xhekaj. The coaching staff seem to trust him more as he averaged 14 minutes per game this year. Also, he played in 59 games, 6 fewer than Xhekaj, but totaled 80 more minutes of actual time on the ice at 827 minutes, compared to Wifi’s 742. So yeah….
David Reinbacher. Had Reinbacher been able to make the jump to the NHL, it would have forced Montreal’s hand to make a deal, and one of Strubble or Xhekaj would have been traded. However, with injuries making it impossible, the Habs held onto both players while they wait.
Adam Engstrom. I really think he should have made the team last year, but with the wealth of D on the squad, particularly on the left side, they kept him in the AHL where he was able to play top minutes. Playing him at the NHL level would have severely decreased his ice time, and this is a guy who needs top 4 minutes and I hope plays all 82 games next year for the Habs. He’s really good and he will be a very impactful NHL player. So Montreal elected to run with Xhkaj and Strubble.
Alexandre Carrier is a right hand shot. Honestly, if the Habs were serious about Wifi, they would have moved Carrier. However, he’s one of two right hand shot defensemen on the team and plays great in the regular season. It’s not that he plays badly in the playoffs, but he often does not protect himself well enough causing him to be run over in the higher physical play that comes with the postseason. If he shot left, I think he would have been moved be now.
Forgetting about advanced stats, there is the eye test. Where I find Xhekaj has trouble is off the rush. If there is a quick transition and the opposing team is coming with speed and numbers, he will at times position himself in no man's land, where the opposing team either have a generous lane to the outside or can thread a pass on the inside, where someone can skate all alone. With the league getting significantly faster, this is an issue.
So, looking at the writing on the wall, I really don’t see how Xhekaj can stay long term unless his analytics get better fast and he’s able to earn Martin St-Louis trust. Both seem unlikely unfortunately for the fan favorite, and with Reinbacher (a right hand shot mind you) and Engstrom knocking at the door, it’s just not in the cards.