Can Arber Xhekaj develop into a Jacob Trouba type of D?

[KevSkillz4]

Yes or no.

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[dirtydanglez]

no maybe more of a gudas type.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Maybe

 

[amnesiac]

offensive peak around 30P maybe once the Habs are a decent playoff team

But I highly doubt he'll ever be as good as Trouba

 

[JohnnyBerts]

He's too good natured to be a Trouba or Gudas. He still goes to the Costco where he worked and says hi to his former co-workers. You can just hear it in his voice that he's not a goof like those other guys. He can still bring that type of tenacity but it will always be a bit different.

 

[Xirik]

Does he have the strength to put his arm up and extend his elbow?

 

[General Fanager]

He is big and tough as nails but I dont see him as being dirty like Trouba.....

 

[dgibb10]

Trouba, while not worth his contract, was always a good hockey player who could handle tough top 4 minutes.

Xhekaj is 23 now and been unable to play anything outside of 15 minutes a night in arguably the most sheltered role in hockey (in terms of quality of competition).

No.

 

[dgibb10]

Age 23 for both players. No chance. Xhekaj is 23 and a WAYS behind what trouba was at age 19

 

[Bileur]

Boots are too heavy to reach those levels.

If he keeps developing maybe he can be somewhere between Zadorov and a tougher Hal Gill.

 

[RefalancheStillLose]

Yes or no.

a dirty POS? I hope not.

 

[JianYang]

I think it's two different styles. Arber typically isn't hunting guys for open ice impact, but he can be a miserable peice of business in the trenches, who happens to be a very willing fighter.

I suppose they both have a certain presence, but for different reasons.

 

[ColbyChaos]

Has to really work on his elbows if he wants to have a chance

 

[biturbo19]

I don't think the skating, puck skills or overall hockey sense/instincts are there to be a Trouba caliber player. With that sort of potential impact in all phases of the game, including top pairing shutdown minutes. Not sure he's got the consistent mean streak to replicate that element very reliably either.


Still could be a really useful bottom-pairing giant. Exactly the sort of piece coaches love to have on their bottom-pairing.

But you have to keep in mind that he's an older "young player". He's likely already much closer to his "ceiling" than say, Trouba was at a comparable number of games into his own NHL career. Xhekaj is probably closer to "he is what he is", than blossoming into a real Top-4 or especially Top-pairing Shutdown D.

 

[Skolman]

Zero chance, but I still love the kid

 

[Turin]

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Age 23 for both players. No chance. Xhekaj is 23 and a WAYS behind what trouba was at age 19

Trouba also regressed after 2018 pretty strongly and never recovered.

 

[Hunter368]

Hit like Trouba sure, fight better then Trouba sure.........hockey IQ & play hockey as good as Trouba no.

 

[CanadienShark]

Very different players and Xhekaj isn't a POS.

 

[dgibb10]

Trouba also regressed after 2018 pretty strongly and never recovered.

100%. I've been preaching the trouba washed train for a few years now. But even now he plays tough minutes in a top 4 role.

Xhekaj I don't see ever being able to handle that

 

[blundluntman]

Maybe if he hits the batting cage sure

 

[TheNumber4]

I’m sure Arber can develop into a head hunting dirty POS of a defenceman. I believe in him.

 

[MXD]

Xhekaj's reasonable upside reads something like "Fringe Top-4 (very) physical D that's more geared towards offense than defense but whose non-physical defensive game is a bit too weak to be considered a legit 2-way D".

I don't think there's a perfect comparable for that (that comes to mind, at least), but amongst actual NHL'ers, Zadorov is a much better comparable than Trouba.

 

[HolyHagelin]

100%. I've been preaching the trouba washed train for a few years now. But even now he plays tough minutes in a top 4 role.

Xhekaj I don't see ever being able to handle that

Technically he is 3rd pair but he gets a ton of PK minutes.

I was at game 3 it was the best game be played in a while, i think he is nursing an injury.

The again who isnt in the playoffs?

 

[MXD]

Xhekaj is 23 now and been unable to play anything outside of 15 minutes a night in arguably the most sheltered role in hockey (in terms of quality of competition).

No.

He took on somewhat tougher duties when paired with David Savard at the end of the season (and also generally looked better), and also spent part of the season playing (not very well) on his wrong side.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

100%. I've been preaching the trouba washed train for a few years now. But even now he plays tough minutes in a top 4 role.

Xhekaj I don't see ever being able to handle that

He's been demoted to bottom pairing. He's been pretty good these playoffs but his play kind of fell off a cliff this year. Braden Schneider is younger and the better player.