Rumor: Canadiens Preparing To Trade Xhekaj To The Leafs?

Arber Xhekaj, also known as the sheriff, became an instant fan favorite among Habs fans last year when he seemingly came out of nowhere. His origin story served as an inspiration to fans but now the young enforcer seems to be falling out of favor with the Canadiens.

Former Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque believes that the team is preparing to trade the 22-year-old defenseman given recent developments with the young player. The following post has been translated from French.

Are the Canadiens preparing to trade Arber Xhekaj? This is what @GeorgesLaraque thinks, who finds that the team is distorting the young defender. 😲

Many fans, including Laraque, have been intrigued by the way the team has handled the young defender in recent days. The team sent him down to the AHL, supposedly for a conditioning stint despite the fact that he was only dealing with a minor injury and he was only out for a couple of weeks. Typically, players only go on conditioning assignments when they have been gone for several months.

However, the team has also told him that they want him to work on his defensive game, making the reasons for sending him to the AHL a bit more confusing.

«I think it was a lil bit of a surprise but the things that they told me defintely made sense from their point. They wanna see me play lotta mins & develop my game. Obviously I've been hurt, I haven't been in the lineup in a while so it's only for the benefit» - Arber Xhekaj

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been obviously disappointing this year in regards to their toughness. Players like Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, and especially Ryan Reaves were supposed to make the team significantly harder to play against but we have not really seen that happen so far. One player that could change that is certainly Arber Xhekaj.

True, though I think Xhekaj is significantly more valuable than Anderson, even at his peak. Imagine what a team like Toronto under Treliving would pay for Xhekaj after how soft the Leafs look every year in the playoffs.

The 22-year-old could be a perfect fit in Toronto, especially given their need for defensemen. With Mark Giordano out 4-6 weeks, the team's blueline is now among the thinnest in the entire league. That is not good for a team that has serious playoff aspirations. Interestingly, the Leafs have been linked to Xhekaj once already this season.

This does not mean that he will certainly be traded to the Leafs, but it does seem to add up that the Leafs have been taking a look at him this year.

Previously on HouseOfHockey

Professional Player Gets A 10-Minute Penalty For Chicken Nugget Related Reasons

BREAKING: Horrible News Confirmed For Matvei Michkov

BREAKING: Eastern Conference Rivals Complete A Trade

POLL
6 DECEMBRE \| 92 ANSWERS Rumor: Canadiens Preparing To Trade Xhekaj To The Leafs? Do you think the Canadiens are going to trade Xhekaj?
Yes	32	34.8 %
No	60	65.2 %
LIST OF POLLS