Montreal Canadiens recall Arber Xhekaj from AHL

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been recalled from the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

Xhekaj, 22, being recalled comes in correspondence with the demotion of both Mitchell Stephens and Justin Barron earlier in the day. The Hamilton, Ontario product had been down in the minors to get back into game shape after suffering an injury. However, the Habs had a few too many bodies on their roster to call up Xhekaj, resulting in him playing in 17 games before finally returning to the NHL roster.

Xhekaj hadn’t been producing quite as much this season when he was playing with the Habs, as he had just 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 17 games. He excelled in his time in the AHL though, as he had 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points in his 17-game stint with the Rocket.

Since his debut last season, Xhekaj has been one of the more efficient shooters on the blueline in the league. In the past two seasons, his 6.74% shooting percentage is the 38th-highest in the league among defensemen with at least 1000 minutes of ice time.

Xhekaj was an undrafted free agent signing by the Canadiens, joining the team in 2021 after receiving a training camp invite and impressing Montreal. The Habs then signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract with an $828,333 cap hit, which he is currently in the final year of and will become a restricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.

The Habs will look to bounce back from back-to-back blowout losses when they host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST. They currently sit in sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 19-20-7 record, and are eight points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.