Flames & Wild complete a trade, and Arber Xhekaj is implicated
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The Minnesota Wild completed a trade with the Calgary Flames this summer that sent defenseman Jake Middleton to Calgary in exchange for forward Blake Coleman, defenseman Olli Maatta, and three draft picks, including a 2029 second-rounder.
The Flames also retained 50 percent of Coleman's $4.9 million cap hit in the deal.
For Minnesota, the trade brings in a proven playoff performer in Coleman, who scored 20 goals and posted 35 points in 69 games with Calgary last season.
Maatta adds experienced depth on the back end. The Wild also created additional cap flexibility as part of the transaction.
How the deal affects Arber Xhekaj
While the trade centers on Minnesota and Calgary, it carries ripple effects for the Montreal Canadiens.
According to Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco, the Flames' acquisition of Middleton effectively takes them out of the running as a trade destination for Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj.
Middleton and Xhekaj share a similar profile as physical, left-shot defensemen who play a hard-nosed game.
With Middleton now added to Calgary's blue line and reportedly signed through the 2028-29 season, the Flames have filled the exact role Xhekaj could have occupied.
That removes one of the team's most frequently mentioned as a landing spot for the Canadiens blueliner this offseason, leaving Kent Hughes with fewer obvious trade partners if Montreal chooses to move Xhekaj.
What comes next for Montreal
With Calgary out of the picture, Kent Hughes faces a narrower trade market if he decides to move on from Xhekaj this offseason.
Other clubs seeking a physical, left-shot defenseman could still emerge as suitors, but the loss of a known trade partner shifts the leverage in Montreal's favor if Hughes chooses to keep him.
For now, the Canadiens appear content letting Xhekaj continue developing as part of their young core, with no indication a move is imminent.
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