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Surprise acquisition of a first-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens: Jean-François Houle had a lot to say about Arber Xhekaj
Arber Xhekaj has certainly made an impact since joining the Laval Rocket. Not only is he producing at an excellent pace, but he's also been a significant help to Logan Mailloux.
Kent Hughes appeared on the show "L'Antichambre" on Monday night and mentioned that Logan has really turned a corner in the last 10-15 games. Xhekaj has been paired with him for about a dozen games, which speaks volumes.Another person with high praise for Xhekaj is Rocket coach Jean-François Houle. According to him, Xhekaj should have been a first-round pick.
"The young man has a future for an undrafted player; it's incredible that he slipped through the cracks. It's really hard to understand.
He has very nice offensive qualities. His wrist shot is elite, and for a big guy, he can move. The Canadiens got lucky. This young man is a first-round pick, so it's like a first-round pick falling into your lap.
We had (Justin) Barron here, and he's as good as Barron, who was a first-round pick. I think he might even have more offensive abilities than Barron. For me, when you look at them when they were both here, wow, this kid (Xhekaj) can be special." - Jean-François Houle
He has very nice offensive qualities. His wrist shot is elite, and for a big guy, he can move. The Canadiens got lucky. This young man is a first-round pick, so it's like a first-round pick falling into your lap.
We had (Justin) Barron here, and he's as good as Barron, who was a first-round pick. I think he might even have more offensive abilities than Barron. For me, when you look at them when they were both here, wow, this kid (Xhekaj) can be special." - Jean-François Houle
Houle also adds to what Kent Hughes mentioned about Mailloux's game, which is directly tied to the connection between the two defensemen:
"I think playing with Xhekaj right now really helps [Logan Mailloux]. I think it calms him down because Xhekaj is one of those guys who retrieves the puck, and he slows the game down before making another play. So together, they've been very good." - Jean-François Houle
This is a significant statement, especially considering that Barron's main asset is being an offensive defenseman. The pair formed by Xhekaj and Mailloux could well survive in Montreal, and Kent Hughes will have a decision to make regarding young Barron. His future might not be in Montreal.
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