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The Canadiens acquired a forward who scares the other teams
It's all well and good to have skilled and talented players with finesse, but you also need players who are tough to play against, and the Canadiens now have one.
Arber Xhekaj's younger brother, Florian Xhekaj, fits this description perfectly. According to his former teammate with the Bulldogs, Owen Protz, who also played against him in the OHL, he's very difficult to counter.
"He does it all. He blocks shots, he drops the gloves, he scores goals. He applies forechecking pressure. A guy like that on your team is essential."
- Owen Protz
- Owen Protz
Owen Protz himself is considered a tough player to face, even being described as the most dangerous player on the ice at any given moment. For him to say such things about Florian Xhekaj speaks volumes.
"When I was with Sudbury, we hated him. We hated him so much. I hated playing against him. He's big, he's fiery, and he can play very well. He's the kind of player you hate to face."
- Owen Protz
- Owen Protz
This is certainly what Nick Bobrov and the Canadiens' management saw when they drafted him in the 4th round in 2023. Florian Xhekaj is a special player who can do it all and has the physicality for the role.
For an organization, having a player like that, whom everyone hates to face, is worth its weight in gold.
Credit: Marqueur.com
Déclaration qui en dit long sur l'attaquant du CH: « On le détestait tellement »
Déclaration qui en dit long sur l'attaquant du CH: « On le détestait tellement »
| POLL | ||
AOUT 12 | 287 ANSWERS The Canadiens acquired a forward who scares the other teams Do you think Florian Xhekaj will be a top-9 player in Montreal? | ||
| Yes | 199 | 69.3 % |
| No | 88 | 30.7 % |
| List of polls | ||