Major statement by insider Elliotte Friedman on the acquisition of Arber Xhekaj

PUBLICATION

Jeff Drouin
October 23, 2022 (5:41 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

For the past few weeks, you've noticed that Montreal Canadiens fans have been talking a lot about young defenseman Arber Xhekaj, and we love him.

However, we are not the only ones, far from it.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek had a lot to say about the Habs' tough young defenseman.

They have already mentioned that many NHL general managers are biting their fingers for not having discovered the Habs' number 72 before. Many bitterly regret not having him on their team.

You might think that Xhekaj is only the talk of Montreal, but no, journalists from all over the NHL are talking about him.

He's good defensively, he's able to carry himself offensively, and of course, he's very formidable physically. Other players know not to look for him on the ice.

On their most recent episode of their 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek significantly highlighted Xheka's discovery:

"Xhekaj is a gold coin found in a river. He is a Grand Slam."

Elliotte Friedman

Wow! Nothing short of a grand slam, according to Friedman, who reminds us that Xhekaj is one of the CH's big steals.

"You know when you find an old pair of pants you haven't worn in a while and you find a $50 bill in one of the pockets? Xhekaj is that $50 bill."

Jeff Marek

Remember, these are two very well-connected journalists who talk to various NHL executives every day. So it's always fun to read and hear, coming from them.

They threw out two interesting comparisons, which show how well Xhekaj is making his mark in the NHL, after only a few games. For details:

Credit: