Arber Xhekaj's brother Florian makes a massive statement ahead of next season
In 2021, Arber Xhekaj, who had been invited to the Canadiens' camp, surprised everyone by earning an entry-level NHL contract and playing with the big club.
Next fall, it will be his younger brother Florian's turn to try to make his mark with the big club.
Armed with his NHL entry-level contract signed last April, the youngest Xhekaj will show up, according to his words, with only one goal in mind at the next training camp.
That is not to return to the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL.
Florian Xhekaj with the Canadiens as soon as next season?
19-year-old Florian had an offensive explosion with Brantford last year. He finished the campaign with 65 points, including 34 goals, in 63 games. It's a huge leap for him, as he had finished his rookie season in the OHL with 25 points in 68 games. The young man's progress was greatly noticed by the Canadiens, as player development director Rob Ramage recalls.
According to Florian, the experience he gained during his stint with the Laval Rocket last season will be beneficial. Even though it was only for three games, he says he learned a lot of things that will be useful for the future.
«I absorbed as much as I could from those games and tried to apply them to my game to be ready, no matter where I play next season.» - Florian Xhekaj
We will certainly remember the comments made by Nick Bobrov during a pre-draft meeting in 2023. The Canadiens' co-director of amateur scouting was very complimentary towards the young forward, saying he is a unicorn, a player capable of doing everything on the ice.
See around the 13-minute mark in the video below:
In a recent appearance on BPM Sports, prospect expert Martin Therriault gave his opinion on Florian. His view may not please many, including Florian himself...
However, it should be mentioned that Therriault would send the young Xhekaj to Laval next season. He doesn't think Florian will be a top-6 player but rather a third- or fourth-line player. In that case, working on his offense would not be a priority, and he could go to the Rocket in a fourth-line role.
It all depends on the organization's vision for him. It will be interesting to see what the management plans with the young man...
| POLL | ||
7 JUILLET | 808 ANSWERS Arber Xhekaj's brother Florian makes a massive statement ahead of next season Where will Florian Xhekaj play in the 2024-2025 season? | ||
| Montreal Canadiens | 127 | 15.7 % |
| Laval Rocket | 608 | 75.2 % |
| Brantford Bulldogs | 73 | 9 % |
| List of polls | ||
