Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[Naslundforever]

I feel more and more like hockey stars will most likely come from families with money, and often its kids born in the first half of the year with extra development over their nov and dec peer group. Soccer has a rotating start for kids so January babies don't have an 11 month advantage over someone born in December. When you are 5-7 years old an entire year of growth is significant but so is money IMHO.
I remember glen metropolit was one of those working class family players. Always liked him as a hab.

Great point about age groups, being a late or an early makes a huge difference in opportunity.

I feel it’s a long time now hockey is somewhat elitist. We’re like 3 million Montrealers counting the general area but it’s rarely the kid who grew up corner 8th avenue and Bélanger that seem to make the nhl. It’ll be the kids from regions/suburbs, types that own a house and the parents both drive… Not rich, but better off than the average person settling in the big cities because of easy access to services and entry level work ops.

Also the disparity in house owners and people who rent is growing.

 

[yianik]

I have noticed his inability to tone it down once there is a scuffle on the ice. Thursday night's game was a prime example, the Flyers were pushing this type of play and he was involved but remained somewhat aggressive throughout the game and took penalties. He needs to get the anger under control to avoid hurting the team. In games where there is little rough stuff he tends to play smarter.

Nice observation. So in games that are rougher, where we can really use his style of play, meaning physicality in the corners and heavy hits, he gets undisciplined and likely gets less TOI either because he's in the box or having his minutes cut.

Yeah, he's hurting the team and himself.

 

[Rapala]

I have noticed his inability to tone it down once there is a scuffle on the ice. Thursday night's game was a prime example, the Flyers were pushing this type of play and he was involved but remained somewhat aggressive throughout the game and took penalties. He needs to get the anger under control to avoid hurting the team. In games where there is little rough stuff he tends to play smarter.

True. I noticed some frustration as well. The problem is he's the only one who has the ability to put a dead stop to the stupidity and chippy play.
To do that he has to thrash someone which our staff have clearly put the Kybosh on. Laying out some very solid hard body checks on it's own won't do it.
Most of the idiots Xhekaj would be facing would be a terrible trade off for us. Not to mention we really have nothing on the line

This is why we need a foil. Watching Arber boil as guys like Popsicle are take liberties with our Captain isn't helping him or his game.

 

[Rapala]

I feel more and more like hockey stars will most likely come from families with money, and often its kids born in the first half of the year with extra development over their nov and dec peer group. Soccer has a rotating start for kids so January babies don't have an 11 month advantage over someone born in December. When you are 5-7 years old an entire year of growth is significant but so is money IMHO.
I remember glen metropolit was one of those working class family players. Always liked him as a hab.

When I grew up my Dad would buy 24 twigs at a time for his six kids with straight blades and two different lies.
This covered the height differences and the right handed left handed issues.

The cost of composite today alone would have bankrupted him.
We haven't even got into the cost of equipment.

Hockey is a rich man's sport and even super talented kids can get left behind if they don't have a sponsor.

 

[Naslundforever]

True. I noticed some frustration as well. The problem is he's the only one who has the ability to put a dead stop to the stupidity and chippy play.
To do that he has to thrash someone which our staff have clearly put the Kybosh on. Laying out some very solid hard body checks on it's own won't do it.
Most of the idiots Xhekaj would be facing would be a terrible trade off for us. Not to mention we really have nothing on the line

This is why we need a foil. Watching Arber boil as guys like Popsicle are take liberties with our Captain isn't helping him or his game.

more blowouts afford more gooning as well. All these 1-goal game don’t play into « sending messages » because the games are often on the line.

 

[BJCOLLINS]

AX will be a beast in 5 years if HuGo can get him signed for anything around 4-5 million I’ll be happy….8 x 4 would be an amazing contract. I agree with other posters the NHL vultures will be circling around with offer sheets.

 

[jaffy27]

AX will be a beast in 5 years if HuGo can get him signed for anything around 4-5 million I’ll be happy….8 x 4 would be an amazing contract. I agree with other posters the NHL vultures will be circling around with offer sheets.

I’m confident KH will sign him long term and at a fair annual!

Plus his brother is in the system and they were Hab fans….

Just need to pry Alex Tuch out of Buffalo now so we can have 2 sets of brothers on the team

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

If Xhekaj thinks there's more offense to his game he could opt for a bridge deal, but wouldn't be surprised if you see a longer term deal with him 6, 7, or even 8 years at around 3.5- 4.

If he did that get, that's overpayment at this point, but as he matures and better picks his spots it would be a solid deal.

 

[salbutera]

I feel more and more like hockey stars will most likely come from families with money, and often its kids born in the first half of the year with extra development over their nov and dec peer group. Soccer has a rotating start for kids so January babies don't have an 11 month advantage over someone born in December. When you are 5-7 years old an entire year of growth is significant but so is money IMHO.
I remember glen metropolit was one of those working class family players. Always liked him as a hab.

Dirt poor, Toronto public housing, in & out of foster homes… single teenage mom, never knew biological father, step brother couldn’t make it out of tough neighborhood & ended up in prison

Type of stories Hollywood looks for to make movies around..

 

[Doc McKenna]

Iirc Markov was one of the top paid Dman during his prime despite never being in Norris conversation

5.75 high for the habs but not sure league wise.

 

[salbutera]

5.75 high for the habs but not sure league wise.

Lidstrom & Chara were making $7.5M, Niedermeyer $6.7M, Rafalski $6M at same point - Markov was in the ballpark of highly paid Dman during his prime despite not getting top-5 Norris Trophy votes as the others

 

[Stoneburg]

No one is going to offer sheet The Sheriff. We have lots of cap room, and it is well known that we have already rejected a first-round draft pick offer for him. That would mean that a team would have to offer sheet him at over $8.585 AAV before we might not match. No way that is happening.

 

[Naslundforever]

No one is going to offer sheet The Sheriff. We have lots of cap room, and it is well known that we have already rejected a first-round draft pick offer for him. That would mean that a team would have to offer sheet him at over $8.585 AAV before we might not match. No way that is happening.

Pretty sure we can change his Nick-name to something more generic as he is no longer an enforcer but just a regular D man.

Good luck to him with the remaining skillset keeping his spot among upcoming LHD.

 

[Tyson]

Pretty sure we can change his Nick-name to something more generic as he is no longer an enforcer but just a regular D man.

Good luck to him with the remaining skillset keeping his spot among upcoming LHD.

He isn't an enforcer, he is a young Dman with a unique skill set.

 

[Naslundforever]

He isn't an enforcer, he is a young Dman with a unique skill set.

You feel he’ll stay above Hutson, Guhle and Matheson in the very near future without the Sheriff-ing? There are others too…

 

[Tyson]

You feel he’ll stay above Hutson, Guhle and Matheson in the very near future without the Sheriff-ing? There are others too…

The unique skill set of having a big tough kid who can actually play as well as answer the bell against every heavyweight in the league is something that can't be overlooked.

 

[skidcells]

Sounds like he is travelling to the states today presumably to get an opinion on his injury. Hoping for the best but typically this means surgery more often than not. Hopefully not the shoulder again

 

[Hannibal]

Sounds like he is travelling to the states today presumably to get an opinion on his injury. Hoping for the best but typically this means surgery more often than not. Hopefully not the shoulder again

f***

We are so f***ing cursed, tabarnak

Fingers crossed for no surgery and not his shoulder again.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Sounds like he is travelling to the states today presumably to get an opinion on his injury. Hoping for the best but typically this means surgery more often than not. Hopefully not the shoulder again

Perhaps now people will understand his and the team's reluctance of him getting into these meaningless fights.

 

[Koivu11]

 

[Leto]

 

[sampollock]

hope this guy can recover. to many surgeries already

 

[Tyson]

hope this guy can recover. to many surgeries already

Is it the same shoulder that he injured last season?

 

[sampollock]

Is it the same shoulder that he injured last season?

not sure.. good ? though

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Is it the same shoulder that he injured last season?

Canadiens’ Xhekaj undergoing season-ending surgery

Xhekaj sustained the injury during a game against the Oilers on Feb. 12.

theathletic.com

This says last year it was his right.