Arber Xhekaj sends a clear message to Martin St-Louis ahead of Kaiden Guhle's return

The team announced in November that Guhle would be sidelined for 8 to 10 weeks. He has not played since October 16, following a lower-body injury. The good news for the team is that the defenseman appears ready to return to action and should be good to go soon.

On the blue line, spots are hard to come by when you already have Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Mike Matheson, and Alexandre Carrier in the lineup. Adding Guhle to the mix leaves too many players for too few spots.

Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj are still battling for a position.

On Wednesday, against the Flames, Martin St-Louis took the time to highlight Xhekaj's performance. When the coach brings it up, it's rarely to send a player to the press box the next night.

Xhekaj plays an important role in the team's lineup. He can also drop the gloves and stand up for his teammates in physical games.

On the other hand, Guhle has played only five games this season, but he already has two points and a +1 rating. If he returns on Thursday, the lineup will have to change, and the team will need to send a defenseman to the press box.

That's where Struble risks losing his spot, because Xhekaj has just taken the driver's seat. With Josh Anderson, Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, Patrik Laine, and Alex Newhook injured, the team will need to provide an update on its injured players.

Finally, St-Louis confirmed there will be no changes to the starting lineup tonight, though attention now turns to when Guhle will return to game action.

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