This means that some NHL general managers will be working hard not only to improve their teams for the playoffs but also for the next season.
And it is with this perspective in mind that I want to take you, as there have been all sorts of rumors surrounding a possible trade involving Arber Xhekaj in recent weeks.
That said, the "Sheriff" has the profile of a player that could interest several teams, but it's questionable how far some team executives would be willing to go to have Kent Hughes trade his defenseman.
However, as reported by Marco Normandin, from the site Habsolumentfan.com, a renowned journalist may have revealed Xhekaj's value on the trade market.
In a recent episode of the excellent podcast Process, Mathias Brunet of La Presse claimed that Xhekaj's value would be about equivalent to that of defenseman Alexander Romanov when the Canadiens decided to trade him to the New York Islanders at the 2022 draft.
It's recalled that Kent Hughes had sent Romanov to New York in return for a first-round pick that was subsequently used by the Canadiens to acquire Kirby Dach.
Clearly, this possibility could be interesting for the Canadiens, who will be desperately looking to accelerate the rebuilding process, which some fans of the team are beginning to find lengthy.
You can watch the full episode of Process by clicking on the link below.
POLL | ||
Would you trade Arber Xhekaj for a 13th overall pick? | ||
Yes | 107 | 14.3 % |
No | 643 | 85.7 % |
List of polls |