Habs Daily: Xhekaj Declined Leafs Offer, Slafkovsky Getting Bigger

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed during the weekend.

Montreal Canadiens News

The Toronto Maple Leafs were among the teams who were interested in defenceman Arber Xhekaj’s services.  Xhekaj went undrafted, which gave him plenty of options when it came to picking his desired landing spot. The Leafs reached out first, but Xhekaj waited for Les Glorieux to come calling.

Habs defenseman Arber Xhekaj says he received an offer from the Leafs after going undrafted but chose to wait it out a few more days until his favorite team, the Canadiens, called.

[via: @spittinchiclets] #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/15YtMgxcDi

— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) August 24, 2024

The Montreal Canadiens are getting a significant influx of youth this fall, making for one of the most interesting Rookie Camps in years. [Canadiens Prospects With Most To Prove At Rookie Camp]

Now that Jordan Harris and Johnathan Kovacevic have been traded to new teams, some of the Canadiens’ best defensive prospects have a clearer line of sight when it comes to earning a permanent job in the NHL. Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, and Logan Mailloux, among others, will be fighting for the new job openings. [Canadiens Depth Chart: Trades Improve Defensive Prospect Odds]

Juraj Slafkovsky is working hard to add more mass to his frame prior to the start of the 2024-25 NHL season. The 6’3″ forward started to use his body to win puck battles with much more regularity to close out the past year, connoting that he’s starting to realize he enjoys a Clifford-The-Big-Red-Dog-esque size advantage over most of his opponents.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that a confident Juraj Slafkovsky has been working out like a beast in the gym this summer & that he “looks massive.”

👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/TQhMN6hJBr

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 25, 2024

National Hockey Now Network

For the first time in the salary cap era, and perhaps ever, the Pittsburgh Penguins had become a dumping ground for unwanted contracts. Instead of offloading salary or banging on the front doors of the top free agents to chase another Stanley Cup, selling salary cap space for draft picks became the strategy. [Pittsburgh Penguins]

Amid learning about the deal that sent Askarov to the Sharks, we also learned New Jersey was in the mix for the prospect goaltender in a potential Devils trade. [New Jersey Devils]

If the turnout over the last three days at the Boston Bruins Fan Fest is any indication, the anticipation is palpable for the team’s upcoming season. [Boston Bruins]

For the tenth time in franchise history, the Boston Bruins will have two players with the same last name etched on the back of their sweater. [Washington Capitals]