Arber Xhekaj Value Rising Under New Defence Coach

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj is seeing his value rise under new associate coach Derek Lalonde, according to Last Word On Hockey's Lori Bennett. Lalonde was brought in to bolster Montreal's defensive systems and penalty kill after assistant coach Trevor Letowski stepped away. Through the first 11 games of the season, Xhekaj has appeared in every contest and logged more penalty-kill time than in the entire previous season.

Bennett notes that Xhekaj signed a one-year, $1.5 million extension after being a restricted free agent during the summer. Despite facing heavy competition on Montreal's crowded blue line following the departure of Jayden Struble, the increased defensive deployment and expanded role are helping establish Xhekaj's value either as a core roster piece or as prospective trade capital.