Xhekaj (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Friday.
The designation is retroactive to Xhekaj's last game, which was Nov. 16 against Vegas, so he can be activated whenever he is cleared to return. The blueliner did not travel with the team on the road. In a corresponding move, Montreal recalled Joel Armia from AHL Laval, and he will join the team for Saturday afternoon's tilt against the Kings.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Won't travel with team
Rotowire
Xhekaj (upper body) won't travel with his teammates Monday to California ahead of the Canadiens' three-game road trip, Arpon Basu of The Athletic reports.
As a result, Xhekaj is likely to miss Montreal's next three games, starting with Wednesday's contest versus Anaheim. He has picked up one goal, two assists, 47 PIM, 12 blocked shots and 41 hits across 17 outings this season. Montreal brought up Jayden Struble from AHL Laval on Monday to serve as an extra defender for the road trip.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Unavailable Saturday
Rotowire
Xhekaj (upper body) won't play Saturday against Boston, Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette reports.
Xhekaj is listed as day-to-day after sustaining an upper-body injury in Thursday's 6-5 loss to Vegas. He has supplied one goal, two assists, 47 PIM, 12 blocked shots and 41 hits in 17 games this season. Xhekaj will be replaced in the lineup by Jordan Harris (upper body), who will return from a two-game absence.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Not practicing Friday
Rotowire
Xhekaj (upper body) is missing from practice Friday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Xhekaj was injured in the second period Thursday against the Golden Knights and did not return. The defenseman has lots of fantasy value if your league uses PIM and hits as categories as he has 47 and 41 respectively in just 17 games. He is questionable at this time to play Saturday versus Boston.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Won't finish Thursday's game
Rotowire
Xhekaj suffered an upper-body injury and won't return to Thursday's game versus the Golden Knights.
Xhekaj appeared to injure his left shoulder after sustaining a hit. It's not his surgically repaired right shoulder, which was an injury that ended his 2022-23 campaign prematurely. The 22-year-old defenseman can be considered day-to-day until another update is available.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Chips in with assist in win
Rotowire
Xhekaj posted an assist in Monday's 3-1 road victory against the Sabres.
The point was his first since also posting an apple in the wild 6-5 shootout loss Oct. 11 against the Maple Leafs. He also had a plus-1 rating, two shots on goal and a minor penalty Monday, giving him at least one infraction in four of five games this season. Xhekaj has 23 PIM through five outings, helping fantasy managers in formats rewarding bad behavior.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Whistled early and often
Rotowire
Xhekaj had an assist, three hits and 17 PIM in Wednesday's 6-5 shootout loss to Toronto.
Xhekaj is no stranger to the physical side of hockey and wasted little time mixing it up. All three of his penalties -- two minutes for instigating a fight, five minutes for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct -- were assessed in the first period for his brawl with noted tough guy Ryan Reaves. Xhekaj later produced an assist in the third period when his shot from the point was tipped in by Alex Newhook. Xhekaj had 159 hits and 101 PIM over 51 games in 2022-23.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Called up, in lineup Wednesday
Rotowire
Xhekaj was recalled from AHL Laval on Wednesday, per CapFriendly.
Xhekaj will be in the lineup Wednesday versus the Maple Leafs, per the NHL roster report. The 22-year-old defenseman figures to see bottom-six minutes this season as long as the Canadiens' blue line stays relatively healthy. Joel Armia was sent to Laval in a corresponding move.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Expected for Wednesday
Rotowire
Xhekaj is expected to suit up for Montreal in Wednesday's season opener against Toronto, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports.
Xhekaj was not on the ice during Tuesday's practice, because the Canadiens sent him down to AHL Laval in what amounts to a paper transaction. Montreal general manager Kent Hughes had to juggle to get under the salary cap, hence sending the defenseman to the Rocket. Xhekaj should be in the lineup Wednesday as both Christian Dvorak (knee) and Carey Price (knee) have been added to long-term injured reserve.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Sent to minors
Rotowire
Xhekaj was reassigned to AHL Laval on Monday, per CapFriendly.
Xhekaj could be back with Montreal before Wednesday's season opener in Toronto. The 22-year-old defenseman posted five goals and 13 points in 51 NHL games during his rookie campaign last year.
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Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Done for season
Rotowire
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: 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: 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: 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: 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.
