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Canadiens Prospect Florian Xhekaj Involved In Heavyweight Fight

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Florian Xhekaj Montreal canadie

The CHL playoffs are in full swing, which means several Montreal Canadiens prospects are playing crucial roles for their respective teams.

Both Owen Beck and Filip Mesar have scored an impressive six points in their first two games, a rather encouraging sign for players who are expected to make the jump to professional hockey next season.

But there’s one Habs prospect who has not received as much attention as Beck or Mesar, despite improving his scoring pace by leaps and bounds this season.

Florian Xhekaj was chosen in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and though you won’t see much criticism of the pick today, the same cannot be said on draft day.

Of course, we do have to admit that Xhekaj was a surprise pick. He was unranked by most outlets, and though his brother Arber had exceeded all expectations during his time in the NHL, there was no guarantee Florian would do the same.

MUST READ: It’s Time To Put More Respect On Arber Xhekaj’s Name

While agreeing to pick Florian in the fourth round, the Montreal Canadiens’ scouting crew used a term we hear a little too often in the NHL. He was yet another ‘unicorn’, a player that would take a little longer to find his rhythm, but would eventually make an impact once he had a chance to prove his worth.

Florian had only managed to score 13 goals and 12 assists in 68 games, the type of scoring pace that rarely results in an NHL calibre player.

Admittedly, I wasn’t convinced, but given Arber’s development, there was certainly logic to the idea that the Xhekaj family produces a special breed of athlete.

Fast forward a season, and the ‘unicorn’ tag is starting to make sense.

He scored an impressive 34 goals and 31 assists in 63 games for the Brantford Bulldogs in 2023-24, pushing his season-ending scoring pace from 0.37 points per game to 1.03 points per game.

And to make matters more interesting, like his brother, Florian can hold his own when it comes to heavyweight tilts, as evidenced by his lively fight with Ottawa 67’s defenceman Matthew Mayich on Sunday.

More importantly, in addition to winning the fight, Xhekaj also scored the opening goal of the game and added an assist to his tally in the third period.

It’s too early to suggest Florian Xhekaj will definitely follow in his brother’s footsteps, but it does seem like the Montreal Canadiens have potentially added yet another ‘unicorn’ to the mix.

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