Episode Details

Episode 198 of the Hockey Free For All Podcast Topics

#1. If Montreal wants to win the Stanley Cup again in the foreseeable future, they better not even consider trading Arber Xhekaj.

#2. There absolutely no physicality on the Montreal Canadiens roster other than Arber Xhekaj.

#3. The only other 2 physical prospects that the Montreal Canadiens have within their entire organization at any level are Florian Xhekaj and Owen Protz.

#4. The Montreal Canadiens show consider this very carefully if they even consider trading Arber Xhekaj. Not only who is going to protect the Lane Hutson’s, Cole Caufield’s, Nick Suzuki’s, Alexander Texier’s, Ivan Demindov’s, Alexander Zharovsky’s and Alex Newhook’s.

#5. Montreal trades Arber Xhekaj, both the organizations management, its fan base, NHL league personnel and others around the league and the sport better get ready to see Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Alexander Texier, Ivan Demindov, Alexander Zharovsky and Alex Newhook spending a lot of time on the long term injury list like Carey Price and everyone knows what happened to his career and how it came to an end.

#6. Arber Xhekaj is the sole reason other teams do take runs at afore mentioned players.

#7. Noah Dobson doesn’t, Mike Matheson doesn’t, Kaiden Guhle, Alexander Carrier and Jayden Struble do not have Arber Xhekaj’s physical element in their games.

#8. Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher have not been able to stay consistently healthy to date.

#9. Adam Engstrom, Bryce Pickford or Bogdan Konyushkov are not going to bring that physical element either.

#10. Only defensive prospect Owen Protz at 6’ 02 210 lbs and Forward prospect Florian Xhekaj at 6’ 04 and 205lbs bring the level of physicality to and with their games that Arber Xhekaj does. That 2 prospects in the entire organization, that’s not a lot.

#11. Samuel Montembeau has looked lost since day one of the 2025/2026 training camp.

#12. Fortunately, Jakub Dobes’s game has returned to October 2025 form at the same time that Montembeau’s game has vaporized.

#13. Do you call up Jacob Fowler, or do you let him get a massive amount of starts and minutes in Laval?

#14. Is Kaapo Kahkonen the answer to the backup goalie sport to spell Jakub Dobes when he needs a game off?

#15. If Montreal decides to acquire a backup goalie, they should engage in no trade that costs them more than prospect Riley Kidney, Sammy Blais or Josiah Didier. Nothing more. It’s a band aid trade for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season and nothing more.