Terrible News Confirmed For Enforcer Arber Xhekaj

Multiple sources have confirmed that defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been sent down to the AHL by the Montreal Canadiens.

In a shocking move, Xhekaj will now play the first AHL games of his career after struggling in his time in the big leagues this year. As of now, this is not a conditioning stint but a true re-assignment. One source believes it could be short-lived.

While some believe this is just a conditioning stint other sources are not so convinced that Xhekaj's path back to the NHL will be a quick one.

According to former Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque, the demotion of Arber Xhekaj could be a season-long one. Laraque reports stories of a problem between Xhekaj and head coach Martin St. Louis after St. Louis ripped into Xhekaj for being too aggressive.

If this rumor and story is true it calls into question the future of Xhekaj in Montreal. If St. Louis takes issue with the way Xhekaj plays things could go off the rails quickly. Xhekaj is known for his physicality and aggressiveness taking that away makes him an entirely different player.

Once Xhekaj begins playing again it will be interesting to note his style. If he plays differently then there could be some truth to these stories. He could also play top pair minutes and be back in a few days only time will be able to tell.