LW Florian Xhekaj - Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL (2023, 101st, MTL)

[_vivelequebec_]

Do Czechia are in touch with him and Arber?

 

[wetcoast]

I'll pick the bigger younger guy, who happens to be playing as a Centre. Most teams have guys with similar makeups, what you do then is choose. Keep the one that suits you better and trade the other.

It's hard to say he looks good in clip but he is in his final junior season and physically dominant but the production is rather ordinary.

 

[Gilmour1996]

He started putting time stamps in his more recent videos. Check the video description on recent videos.

Thanks. I see. I tried watching the latest on YT and saw timestamps there. I was being lazy and watching them on HFBoards.

 

[NinjaTurtle]

Got to watch Florian in person Monday. Probably the best all around player in the game. Speed, size, strength, intensity and a little bit of offensive skills suggest to me that he’ll push for a bottom 6 role in the NHL a few years from now. Of course, he has work to do in the AHL and these types of players are never a sure thing.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

Sure but do the Habs have room for 2 of these guys?

Pezz will be gone before FX makes the NhL

 

[wetcoast]

Pezz will be gone before FX makes the NhL

Probably until the next big decent skating prospect is in the pipeline.

 

[thebestnic]

Probably until the next big decent skating prospect is in the pipeline.

Problem with Pezzeta is he's not fast enough for his hits to have an impact. Florian got him beat there and that will allow him to be an Nhler for longer

 

[wetcoast]

Problem with Pezzeta is he's not fast enough for his hits to have an impact. Florian got him beat there and that will allow him to be an Nhler for longer

Does Florian have the hockey IQ to be more than a placeholder though?

Let's see how he does in Laval as most prospects that every teams fan base is excited about end up not making it.

 

[SlafySZN]

Problem with Pezzeta is he's not fast enough for his hits to have an impact. Florian got him beat there and that will allow him to be an Nhler for longer

I don’t think Florian is a better skater than Pezzetta. He’s already not a good skater in junior.

 

[montreal]

 

[FrankMTL]

Once this kid realized that he has actual hockey skills besides fighting, he's been awesome. He also seems to be fitting in well as a centre.

Florian has 14 goals in his last 14 games while still playing that physical style. He has 30 goals and 23 assists on the season.

He had a rapid growth spurt so he still hasn't filled out yet. He's 6 foot 4 but only 190 pounds. Should be a menace on the ice like his brother when all is said and done.

 

[montreal]

 

[montreal]

12 goals, 19 pts in the last 11 gms.

 

[montreal]

 

[Sam de Mtl]

The more I watch him, the more I am starting to see a young Andrew Shaw, much bigger of course, and hopefully less of a douche. Like Shaw, he was drafted as an overager. Gritty play with a decent amount of skill. Not sure i remember if Shaw was a good skater or not. I feel like he was just okay. F. Xhekaj is definitely nothing special in that department.

To the ones that know, namely Montreal, does that seem like an appropriate player comp? I know comparisons have their limits, but it seems to me like that is more or less the type of impact we can realistically hope for.

 

[montreal]

The more I watch him, the more I am starting to see a young Andrew Shaw, much bigger of course, and hopefully less of a douche. Like Shaw, he was drafted as an overager. Gritty play with a decent amount of skill. Not sure i remember if Shaw was a good skater or not. I feel like he was just okay. F. Xhekaj is definitely nothing special in that department.

To the ones that know, namely Montreal, does that seem like an appropriate player comp? I know comparisons have their limits, but it seems to me like that is more or less the type of impact we can realistically hope for.

he reminds me a bit of Milan Lucic.

 

[montreal]

 

[Junohockeyfan]

One issue is his passing. Its often in the players skates. He needs to clean that up.

 

[montreal]

One issue is his passing. Its often in the players skates. He needs to clean that up.

He can make some beauties though so I'm not too concerned there, the main thing is how big of a jump his development has taken from last year to this year. Among the most impressive I have seen. A number of these OHL kids lost a year of development due to covid, so it's like he's a year behind but he's now physically mature (not saying he won't improve there) but he's now got man strength and plays a power game so now he's got the confidence going, he's having an eye opening season despite moving to a tougher position. So lots to like at this point.

The skill level is hard to say where it's at but for now he just needs to work on continued progression, he's taken a big leap but can he continue to follow up and compound off that or stagnate or regress, it's always so difficult to try and predict when following so many prospects. A 6'4 power center that has hands and plays a nasty physical game is going to be a treat to watch if he can just work on some things.

 

[montreal]

 

[frederixx]

I'm quite impressed honestly. I thought his ceiling would be a 4th line grinder and he wouldn't make it to the NHL. Now, who knows what his ceiling is

 

[person5000]

I'm quite impressed honestly. I thought his ceiling would be a 4th line grinder and he wouldn't make it to the NHL. Now, who knows what his ceiling is

4th line player

 

[BLNY]

A family of late bloomers.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I think he is Laval bound after his season is up.

 

[Oak]

I like wifi junior but he is an overager playing against mostly younger kids. Any decent hockey player will look great in this situation. I'd hold my horses on the hype. He might make 4th line nhl just from toughness and fighting ability though if he can avoid stupid mistakes.