Canadiens insider Stu Cowan says a fan favorite may need to leave Montreal to finally get his chance

The Arber Xhekaj situation in Montreal just got a lot more real.

Stu Cowan didn't mince words on The Sick Podcast, telling Tony Marinaro that the best move for Xhekaj's career at this point is landing somewhere he'll actually see regular minutes.

It's a blunt assessment, but the numbers back it up.

Xhekaj played 65 games last season and averaged just 11:25 of ice time a night, the lowest total among Montreal's defensemen, and that number shrank even further to 8:05 per night once the playoffs rolled around.

Part of the problem is roster math.

The Canadiens already run four left shot defensemen ahead of him in Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble, and Xhekaj remains an unsigned restricted free agent as training camp approaches.

Both he and forward Zachary Bolduc are still without contracts, which has fueled speculation that Montreal could package one or both into sign-and-trade deals before the new CBA takes effect on September 16.

It's the same mechanism the Habs used to land Noah Dobson from the Islanders last summer, so there's precedent for how quickly this could come together.

Interest has come and gone throughout the summer.

Calgary reportedly cooled off after adding Jake Middleton, but Philadelphia has stayed engaged, and Anaheim has also been mentioned as a possible destination.

For a physical, fan favorite defenseman known as Wifi for his ability to lay opponents out, the idea of watching him thrive elsewhere while barely cracking the lineup at home is a tough pill for Habs fans to swallow.

Cowan's comments suggest that inside hockey circles, the writing may already be on the wall.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Former first-round pick wants no further association with the Montreal Canadiens