Canadiens HC Martin St. Louis makes feelings known about Arber Xhekaj's evolving style of play

Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis shared his thoughts on defenseman Arber Xhekaj on the Missin' Curfew podcast on June 13. He made it clear that he values Xhekaj as more than just a tough player.

According to St. Louis, Xhekaj has important tools that can help him become a solid NHL defenseman.

“He can do way more than just fight,” St. Louis said. [1:00:52 onwards] “They call him the Sheriff in Montreal. He’s very good at that, but there are a lot of other things he’s very good at as well."

This past season was not easy for Xhekaj. He was scratched several times due to the Canadiens having too many left-handed defensemen. He even had to sit out the first two playoff games against the Washington Capitals. After he returned, he played limited minutes (nearly 11 minutes on average) and had no points in the series.

Still, St. Louis sees progress. He pointed out that defending is one of the hardest things to do in the league, especially for young players.

"I think as a defenseman, especially a young defenseman, the hardest part in the league is just defending," St. Louis said. "You forget that he’s still very young & he’s gonna keep improving."

St. Louis also mentioned that Xhekaj is learning to pick his spots when it comes to physical play.

“He's got a nice package—alone without his toughness, and obviously he can fight. But take that out of the equation, he’s still a very young, promising defenseman," St. Louis added. "If he has to fight, he will. But he’s learned to pick his spots…He’s a lot of fun to coach, too.”

Xhekaj’s stats this season were modest. He finished with one goal, five assists, and a -13 rating.

---

Canadiens had entered the playoffs with a young defenseman group, including Arber Xhekaj

The Montreal Canadiens were eliminated from the playoffs after a 4-1 loss to the Capitals in Game 5. This was Montreal’s first playoff appearance since 2021. They lost all three games played in Washington and struggled to score at even strength, with just three 5-on-5 goals.

Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky combined for seven of the team’s 12 total goals in the series. Goaltender Sam Montembeault was solid early but left with an injury in Game 3. The Canadiens lost Games 4 and 5 by a three-goal difference.

They also had a young defense group, including four players making their playoff debuts. So for now, Xhekaj will need to continue improving and stay patient.