Before the game against the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis issued a challenge to his young defenseman, Arber Xhekaj. During a press conference, St-Louis was notably frank, emphasizing that Xhekaj could no longer be considered a rookie and needed to improve.
It was uncommon to see St-Louis speak so candidly about a player in such a setting. Following the game, reporters quickly inquired about Xhekaj during the post-game press conference, to which St-Louis replied:
“I think he (Arber Xhekaj) was excellent throughout the game… He was very engaged in applying everything we discussed, so I’m pleased with his performance tonight.”
– Coach Martin St-Louis
It looks like Xhekaj will return to the lineup against the Flyers in Philadelphia, pending official confirmation. This is an encouraging sign, especially considering he had a slow start last season but rebounded strongly.
It appears Martin St-Louis might have effectively motivated his 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenseman with his direct approach.
When Kaiden Guhle returns, who do you think should be left out among Logan Mailloux, Jayden Struble, and Arber Xhekaj? This will be an intriguing decision for Martin St-Louis.
