The Habs took care of one of their remaining business items this summer, announcing on Tuesday that they’ve re-signed defenceman Arber Xhekaj to a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of $1.3 million.
Xhekaj completed his entry-level contract last season, splitting time between Montreal, Laval, and injured reserve due to lingering shoulder trouble. While he made the team out of training camp, he was loaned to Laval upon being cleared to return.
With the Rocket, Xhekaj played in 17 games, getting a much bigger role than he was accustomed to with the Canadiens. He picked up 11 points and 34 penalty minutes before being recalled for good. The 23-year-old played in 44 games with the Habs last season, notching three goals, seven assists, and a team-high 81 PIMS.
Xhekaj has played in 95 career NHL games, making it hard for the two sides to find a price point that would make sense on a long-term deal. This one comes in at a very reasonable price tag, perhaps even a bit lower than some of the potential comparables that we looked at on the weekend.
With the signing, the Habs have a little over $6.6 million in cap space remaining, per PuckPedia, with blueliner Justin Barron still to be re-signed. That number does not factor in any possible LTIR utilized for Carey Price’s contract, something that can’t come into play until Montreal spends past the $88 million salary cap.
