Canadiens Fan Favourite Quietly Securing Spot as Regular: 'He's Moving Confidently and Decisively'
It's only been a few days since the Canadiens officially began training camp, but already, some players are working to secure a spot in the lineup for the first game of the season.
While players like Joshua Roy, Oliver Kapanen, and Vinzenz Rohrer have been impressive, it's still uncertain whether they'll convince Martin St-Louis and his staff to make room for them.
Ahead of them, several established veterans will be very tough to move.
That said, on the blue line, the only real question mark remains: who between Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble will be the sixth defenseman in red, white, and blue for the season opener?
Arber Xhekaj, a Canadiens fan favorite, is securing a spot on the blue line for the season opener
Journalists and other observers on site in Brossard in recent days are unanimous: the Sheriff is pulling ahead of his main competitor, Jayden Struble.
This morning, respected Sportsnet journalist Eric Engels had high praise for number 72.
"As was the case in his first scrimmage, Arber Xhekaj is really standing out in his second one. He's moving faster than we've seen him move at this level, or maybe it just seems that way because he's moving so confidently and decisively. He looks like he's doing everything faster."
-Eric Engels, X
-Eric Engels, X
He's not the only one who noticed Xhekaj's speed, as the defenseman was asked about it following his most recent intra-squad game.
"That was probably the main thing this summer. I didn't have a specific skating coach, but I asked Adam Nicholas to send me drills. I made sure to be lighter in the turns so I could keep up with faster guys."
- Arber Xhekaj
- Arber Xhekaj
Even Martin St-Louis, who has never shied away from being critical of his imposing defenseman, noticed the improvements. It seems Xhekaj has secured his spot in the lineup for the first game.
"I know camp just started, but he's been here for a few weeks, and we were able to observe him before camp. He's in a good place, and we're going to keep working on his development."
-Martin St-Louis
-Martin St-Louis
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 20 | 707 ANSWERS Canadiens Fan Favourite Quietly Securing Spot as Regular: 'He's Moving Confidently and Decisively' Do you think Arber Xhekaj will be in the Canadiens' lineup for the first game of the season? | ||
| Yes | 644 | 91.1 % |
| No | 63 | 8.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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