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Florian Xhekaj

Canadiens Reassign Adam Engstrom And Florian Xhekaj To AHL

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Following last night’s victory over Winnipeg, the Canadiens announced a pair of roster moves.  The team has assigned defenseman Adam Engstrom and winger Florian Xhekaj to AHL Laval.

Engstrom, a 2022 third-round pick, got off to a hot start in the minors this season, posting five goals and nine assists in 18 games, the last of which was a five-point effort to earn him the promotion.  The 22-year-old got into a pair of games with Montreal in his first NHL stint, blocking a pair of shots while averaging a little over 12 minutes of ice time.

As for Xhekaj, he also was in his initial NHL stint.  He got into five games with the Canadiens, recording an assist in his NHL debut and added nine hits while logging 9:36 of playing time per contest.  The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2023 and while he had a promising rookie year in 2024-25 with Laval where he had 24 goals in 69 games, he has been limited to just two goals and two assists in 16 games in the minors this season.

With these moves, Montreal is now at the minimum of 20 players on the active roster.  With a back-to-back set coming up this weekend including a road game in Toronto, it stands to reason that they’ll likely be bringing a player or two up from Laval in the near future.

Canadiens Recall Florian Xhekaj, Joshua Roy Remains With Team

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5:15 p.m.: In a somewhat confusing update, Montreal has amended their previous announcement by sharing that Roy remains with the team. That gives Montreal 14 forwards for tomorrow’s contest unless another move is made.

5:01 p.m.: The Montreal Canadiens have recalled one of the toughest-nosed players, having yet to play in the NHL. According to a team announcement, the Canadiens have recalled Florian Xhekaj and reassigned Joshua Roy in a corresponding roster move.

Montreal drafted Xhekaj with the 101st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. He plays an eerily similar game to his brother Arber Xhekaj, albeit on offense.

He was drafted relatively high, given his playstyle, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs during his draft season. However, Xhekaj exploded on offense the following campaign, registering 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games with a +17 rating.

Even through his transition to professional hockey, Xhekaj looked back. He was one of the most exciting prospects to watch for the Canadiens last season, scoring 24 goals and 35 points in 69 games for the AHL’s Laval Rocket with a whopping 175 PIMs. This season, he has managed two goals and four points in 16 games, with 44 PIMs.

Xhekaj butters his bread in the crease. Reminiscent of Detroit Red Wing Tomas Holmstrom in the early-to-mid 2000s, Xhekaj’s net front presence has become exceptional in the AHL, with most of his goals coming from high-skill deflections. It’ll play well in Montreal, since blue-liners Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson are no strangers to firing the puck on net.

Unfortunately, Xhekaj’s recall comes with some bad news for Roy. The 22-year-old forward has gone scoreless in three games for the Canadiens this season, averaging 9:47 of ice time per game. He’s fared much better with AHL Laval, scoring four goals and seven points in 10 contests.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Florian Xhekaj

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April 10: According to CapFriendly, Xhekaj’s contract carries a $867K cap hit and a $920K AAV. He’ll earn a base salary of $775K in all three seasons. In 2024-25 and 2025-26, he’ll receive a $95K signing bonus and an $80K games played bonus, which drops to an $85K signing bonus and no performance bonus in 2026-27.

April 9: Although it was reported earlier today that defenseman Arber Xhekaj would be missing the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery, a positive development has still arisen for the family. Today, the Montreal Canadiens announced they have signed Arber’s brother, Florian Xhekaj, to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning next year.

Originally selected with the 101st overall pick by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft, Florian is set to join Montreal after spending the last two seasons with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. Experiencing somewhat of an offensive outburst in his second year of Major Junior hockey, Florian scored 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games for the Bulldogs, finishing third on the team in scoring.

Playing a similarly gritty style to his brother, Florian has developed a unique ability to cause a lot of traffic in front of the opposing team’s net. Reminiscent of Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings in the late 1990s and early 2000s, most of Florian’s scoring this season came from deflections in front of the crease.

The organization already announced that Florian will be joining their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for the remainder of the season, so he is set to pick up some valuable experience down the stretch. Although not eliminated from the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, it will be incredibly difficult for the Rocket to secure a spot this year.

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