Canadiens Defenseman Back In The Lineup

During his media availability on Friday morning, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis said that sparkplug defenseman Arber Xhekaj will be back in the lineup on Saturday night when they host the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre.

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The 23-year-old defenseman hasn’t skated in the past two games. He last saw the ice on Oct. 17 in a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, where he was minus-1 and drew his first penalty of the season.

However, with Xhekaj drawing back into the lineup, he is not meant to be an enforcer or act like the team’s muscle. Instead, St-Louis wants the young defender to be a better version of himself.

After 100 games, Xhekaj has just 23 points thanks to eight goals and 15 assists. Although he’s only minus-7 on a rebuilding team, he’s compiled 184 penalty minutes over the past three seasons to lead the Canadiens in that category.

Although no one will ever publicly say it, this move is a curious decision considering the events of the Canadiens’ latest contest, when New York Rangers’ captain Jacob Trouba laid a controversial hit on Justin Barron.

Barron was seen skating on Friday but remains listed as day-to-day. A day after the incident, Xhekaj told the media he’d remember the play and that a hit of that magnitude isn’t necessary for a game already in control.

Related: Canadiens’ Xhekaj Will “Definitely Remember”

Considering Montreal hasn’t won in four games, adding a player who plays on the edge and can bring some grit to the lineup may be the decisive factor between a win or a loss.

Even though general manager Kent Hughes is working the phone to find some help for the lineup, St-Louis has to continue finding ways to get his players, including Xhekaj, going.