Habs Prospects

Xhekaj And Davidson Find Rhythm With Canadiens AHL Affiliate

Published

1 month ago

December 15, 2024

Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Montreal Canadiens, but their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, enjoyed one of the best starts in the history of the organization’s farm teams.

As we all know, ebbs and flows are inevitable in hockey, as evidenced by the fact that heading into Sunday’s game, the Rocket had lost eight of their last 11 matchups, tumbling from the top spot in the league to third in the North Division.

When we discussed a potential call-up for Joshua Roy earlier in the season, it was clear that things were going quite well in the AHL, and that a promotion should come with a legitimate opportunity to provide offence, meaning top-six duties. Following a call-up on November 25, Roy was relegated to the third or fourth line, which predictably did not yield much offence. What’s worse, the chemistry in Laval dissipated, as they failed to win until Roy was returned to the AHL.

Of course, there are more factors at play than just Roy’s call-up, but it’s a good reminder that if the Canadiens can’t find a situation in the NHL that’s conducive to developing properly, they should probably keep their top prospects in the AHL, where the ice time is bountiful.

Steady Surge

Within the chaos of the last stretch of games, some silver linings have emerged. Owen Beck has done a great job acclimatizing to the professional level, though that’s not surprising given that he’s the epitome of a cerebral forward. What’s more, he’s a plug and play athlete, which means he doesn’t take much instruction and usually makes an immediate impact.

In other words, he’s a coach’s dream.

The rookie leads the Rocket in scoring, with seven goals and 13 assists, while also displaying the same time of tenacity and anticipation in the defensive zone that led to a very successful career in the OHL.

I’ll never understand why a player who displays such a complete game at an early age was constantly dismissed as a secondary or tertiary-value asset, but at this point in his career we can safely suggest it’s time to stop underrating him.

With that in mind, there was a slight chance Beck would need a little time to find his rhythm, as is the case with most first-year players. That brings us to a player who has also faced an unreasonable amount of criticism since he was drafted 101st overall by the Canadiens in 2023: Florian Xhekaj.

There was a little more to it in Xhekaj’s case, as he was older than most of his OHL counterparts, and I’d be lying if I did not raise an eyebrow when the Habs called his name, because most independent outlets did not bother ranking him prior to the draft. But those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, which is why some of us wanted to see what he could do on the ice before dismissing him.

After all, development is never linear. Florian’s brother, Arber, went undrafted, but still managed to make the Montreal Canadiens out of camp, the only player in the history of the OHL to pull off the feat.

MUST READ: What I Got Wrong About Canadiens Defenceman Arber Xhekaj

Florian more than doubled his scoring pace after he was drafted, propelling him into the conversation regarding legitimate prospects who may one day end up playing in the NHL.

However, the true test started this season, as Xhekaj went from being among the oldest players in Brantford to being among the youngest in Laval, quite a challenge when we consider he was also set to make his professional hockey debut in earnest. Serving mostly on the fourth line, it was clear that Xhekaj was on par with his opponents from a physical standpoint, even if his usage wasn’t necessarily conducive to generating much offence.

But on Sunday afternoon, Xhekaj played arguably the best game of his career, securing his first professional hat trick in a fantastic five-point effort against the Bridgeport Islanders.

William Trudeau gives the Rocket a 3-2 lead over Bridgeport with this powerplay goal.

Florian Xhekaj provided his third point of the game. pic.twitter.com/DxfyJLh5IF

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 15, 2024

His second and third goals won’t make it to the highlight reel, and that’s perfectly fine. What matters is that Xhekaj made his way to a high-scoring area to capitalize on a second-chance opportunity on both plays, which is exactly the type of role the team envisioned for him. A bruising forward who can carve out premium ice and make life difficult for opposing goaltenders.

ELITE HAT TRICK SNIPER FLORIAN XHEKAJ

pic.twitter.com/fZZOpdt7Wo

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 15, 2024

Reversal Of Fortunes

The Rocket would go on to win 6-2, a crucial win for a team that has struggled of late, especially since they coughed up an early lead. Five goals in the third period, including yet another one-timer goal from Jared Davidson, sealed the win for the Canadiens’ farm team.

Davidson now has 12 goals and six assists in 23 games, a significant improvement on the scoring pace he established during his rookie season. What’s more, he’s incredible entertaining to watch, which may not show up in the stats, but it’s always highly valued and appreciated by the fans.

Any time there’s an opportunity for a big one-timer, the best person to have on the other end of the line is Davidson, who has made a career out of scoring in that exact situation.