Arber Xhekaj opens up on impact of having back-to-back surgeries ahead of upcoming NHL season

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jul 30, 2024 19:12 GMT

The Montreal Canadiens signed Arber Xhekaj to a two-year, $2.6 million contract. This deal starts in the 2024–25 season and will pay him $1.3 million annually. After signing this contract, Xhekaj talked about his two back-to-back shoulder surgeries with The Hockey News.

Xhekaj, known for his physical play, isn't worried about his surgeries affecting his performance. He said fixing his right shoulder didn’t change his game.

"I don't think so. I mean, after I fixed my right shoulder, I didn't look back at it. And it didn't really affect my game at all," Xhekaj said (via THN).

Arber Xhekaj thinks his physical playing style and early training caused his shoulder problems. Despite this, he feels strong and isn’t worried about changing his game.

"And I think just the way I played and obviously, maybe the way I worked out when I was younger and things like that, definitely took a wear and tear on my shoulders," Xhekaj said.

"And obviously, I needed to get them both done. But I don't feel any different. And I don't feel worried at all about changing my game. Or maybe I don't feel worried about that. So I feel fully strong and mentally strong as well."

Last season, Xhekaj played 44 games for Montreal, scoring 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and having a plus-6 rating. He led the team with 81 penalty minutes and 125 hits.

Xhekaj also played 17 games with the AHL's Laval Rocket, adding three goals and eight assists. He joined the Canadiens in October 2021 on a three-year entry-level contract.

Montreal Canadiens signed defenseman Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron on the same day

Apart from Arber Xhekaj, the Montreal Canadiens also signed defenseman Justin Barron to a two-year, $2.3 million contract. This deal will be active for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons, with an average annual salary of $1.15 million.

In the 2023–24 season, Barron played 48 games with the Canadiens, scoring seven goals and six assists. He also had 11 points in 32 games with the Laval Rocket.

Barron has 12 goals and 18 assists in 94 NHL games with Montreal and Colorado. He has added 51 points in 107 AHL games. Barron, 22, was drafted 25th overall by the Avalanche in 2020.

The Montreal Canadiens are making their roster competitive. They will aim for a playoff push with Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield.