During a recent episode of the "Processus" podcast by Mathias Brunet and Simon "Snake" Boisvert, the La Presse journalist revealed significant information regarding Arber Xhekaj.
He outright mentioned that the 23-year-old defenseman still has an extremely high market value, despite recent developments with the Canadiens.
My antennas tell me he's still worth a first-round pick, a good first-round pick." - Mathias Brunet
But Brunet doesn't stop there; he adds a detail that makes CH fans drool.
What I understood, it would be like what we got for (Alexander) Romanov." - Mathias Brunet
In other words, Xhekaj could currently bring in a pick close to the 13th selection in the draft. That's huge!
In connection with this revelation, Boisvert chimes in by mentioning that he would prefer to get a 13th overall pick to trade for a player like Kirby Dach.
He also states that the Sheriff is a complementary piece in the Canadiens' lineup and that if he is worth this high first-round pick, it should be capitalized on to maximize roster management.
A "Kirby Dach" style trade 2.0?
If he can get a +-13th overall pick like Romanov, it's obvious to me, trade him." - Marc-Olivier Beaudoin
Whether one agrees with "Snake" or not, it must be said that if Xhekaj can secure a 13th overall pick, and that pick can be transformed into a promising young player like Dach, I'm thinking of someone like Trevor Zegras for example, it's very much worth considering.
If Xhekaj and a slight addition can conclude a trade to obtain a young player comparable to Dach, whether it be Zegras or someone else, do you do it?