The news is not good for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Training camp is shaping up to be difficult for him, and his spot with the club may never have been more threatened.
According to reports, only five defensemen have their spots locked up on the Montreal blue line. That leaves one opening for the sixth-defenseman role. For now, Jayden Struble and Xhekaj hold the sixth and seventh spots thanks to their experience, but nothing is set in stone. Two prospects are knocking hard on the door, led by David Reinbacher, along with Adam Engstrom. That should make the battle for ice time even tighter.
Management is not hiding its optimism about the young Austrian. “We still believe the future is very bright with David. Injuries are what have held him back. By September or October, we may be talking about a completely different story,” Canadiens executive Jeff Gorton said.
The NHL’s official website projects David Reinbacher to arrive in the National Hockey League as early as this season. What does that mean for Xhekaj? It clearly points toward the end of his run as a regular, with head coach Martin St-Louis potentially pushing him into the seventh- or eighth-defenseman role.
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For Xhekaj, the timing could not be worse. His future in Montreal is already generating plenty of talk, between trade rumors and reported interest from other clubs. This latest development does not look encouraging. A poor training camp could seal his fate. Xhekaj will have to deliver a strong performance if he wants to avoid being pushed aside for good.
The physical, hard-hitting defenseman has carved out a role with his edge and willingness to protect teammates, but the organization’s long-term vision appears increasingly focused on the next wave of talent. Reinbacher’s projected arrival and Engstrom’s presence create a crowded picture on the back end. Experience still carries weight in the short term, yet the window for Xhekaj to lock down a permanent everyday role is narrowing fast.
As training camp approaches, the pressure is squarely on the 24-year-old. One strong showing could quiet the noise. Anything less, and the Canadiens may decide his future lies elsewhere. The dark turn in Xhekaj’s situation is real, and the balance of his career in Montreal now hangs by a thread.