Kent Hughes gives Arber Xhekaj a massive favour
Photo credit: A Winning Habit
Since being called up to the Montreal Canadiens, Arber Xhekaj has shown clear improvements in his play, to the extent that he is now used on the second defensive pair by Martin St-Louis.
However, while the defenseman is now an indispensable element within the defensive brigade, he has still faced his share of challenges this season. Indeed, the 23-year-old had some difficult performances at the beginning of the year, even missing a few games due to a lower-body injury.
Not performing up to expectations, the Canadiens' General Manager, Kent Hughes, decided to send him to Laval for nearly a month, preferring to promote Jayden Struble to the NHL. Knowing he absolutely had to elevate his level of play, the Sheriff put on excellent performances with the Rocket, even accumulating 11 points in 17 games.
However, since his return to the big club, number 72 of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge has regained his confidence, and Martin St-Louis is entrusting him with new responsibilities. The defenseman is now used in the team's top-4, even having the opportunity to play on the second power play wave.
Yet, it seems there was a triggering factor to Wifi's click, and Kent Hughes can certainly be thanked for that. Indeed, as you know, there were many teams wishing to acquire David Savard at the trade deadline, but the Canadiens' GM decided to keep him within the Montreal organization.
Moreover, as we have mentioned on several occasions, the Quebec defenseman is an excellent mentor for the team's young players. In fact, number 58 plays a crucial role in the development of our prospects, having seemingly taken Arber Xhekaj under his wing in recent weeks.
« Keeping David Savard at the trade deadline was a very smart decision by Kent Hughes, the Habs' GM, as far as Arber Xhekaj's development is concerned. » - Stu Cowan
From the moment Wifi was paired with the veteran, he has made remarkable progress. We strongly hope he will have the opportunity to stay alongside David Savard, as it seems greatly beneficial to him. He is increasingly showing his potential, transforming into a physical defenseman, capable of supporting the attack and solid in defensive territory.
Certainly, we can greatly thank Kent Hughes and David Savard for the incredible progression of Arber Xhekaj recently.
| POLL |
4 AVRIL | 166 ANSWERS Kent Hughes gives Arber Xhekaj a massive favour Do you think David Savard has been important for Xhekaj's development? |
| Yes | 156 | 94 % |
| No | 10 | 6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
Latest 10 stories
