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Habs Daily: Stop Underrating Arber Xhekaj, Sedgwick Contract

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2 months ago

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Montreal Canadiens Arber Xhekaj

Catch up with the latest Montreal Canadiens news, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Wednesday.

Habs News

  • It’s beyond time to re-adjust our evaluation of Montreal Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj. Forget the narrative, Xhekaj has been one of the team’s best defencemen this season, and his defensive numbers were leading all blueliners before he was re-assigned to the AHL. We need to put a lot more respect on Xhekaj’s name and forget about pre-draft pedigree. The numbers don’t lie. It’s also worth noting David Savard’s numbers have skyrocketed since he’s been paired with Xhekaj. [Canadiens: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Xhekaj]

 

  • The Canadiens announced they re-signed assistant general manager John Sedgewick to a contract extension. In addition to the contract, Sedgwick was officially named as the general manager of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. As an aside, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to Sedgwick on a few occasions, and there’s no denying he’s one of the most affable characters in the organization. You can never have enough good people on your side, which is why the Habs did not hesitate to keep Sedgwick in the fold.  [Canadiens Ink John Sedgwick To Extension, Named Rocket GM]
  • Cole Caufield was quick to shower his linemate, Nick Suzuki, with praise. Considering Suzuki has been one of the most consistent forwards at both ends of the rink this season, the praise is well deserved.

 

  • Both Alex Newhook and Juraj Slafkovsky were absent from practice on Wednesday. Slafkovsky was a game-time decision ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators, with Rafael Harvey-Pinard acting as the team’s insurance policy if need be. It turned out that centre Colin White was not able to play, which meant that both Harvey-Pinard and Slafkovsky were in uniform. This suggests Slafkovsky is far from being in perfect health, a hypothesis that gains traction when you evaluate his recent play.

  • There were several trades in the NHL yesterday, as teams attempted to get an early start ahead of Friday’s Trade Deadline. The Canadiens did not make any moves, though both David Savard and Jake Allen continue to be listed among the NHL’s likeliest players to be moved. [Daily Faceoff Trade Bait Board]

 

National Hockey Now Network

  • A few months ago, Anthony Mantha was a winger who wanted a new home, and the Washington Capitals were a team that wanted to give him one. The player and team have wanted to part for some time, and on Tuesday, each got their wish as the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Mantha three days before the NHL trade deadline. [Vegas Golden Knights]

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have traded defenseman Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche. Walker practiced with his Flyers teammates on Wednesday but was quickly out of the locker room following the conclusion of practice.[Philadelphia Flyers]

  • According to a report, the New Jersey Devils are showing interest in Arizona Coyotes forward Jason Zucker. The Coyotes announced on Tuesday that they held Zucker out of game action for trade-related reasons. [New Jersey Devils]
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