Martin St-Louis and the Canadiens now have an extra motivation to carefully observe Arber Xhekaj’s subsequent steps.
As training camp draws near, the defenseman’s future is still one of Montreal’s unanswered questions.
Even though there is still work to be done, his behavior is starting to reveal a lot about his goals.
Despite not having a contract, Xhekaj has returned to Brossard and is currently practicing with his Canadiens teammates.
That is important. A player who has an unresolved contract may readily skip team meetings until a deal is reached.
Instead, Xhekaj has put himself directly around the teammates he hopes to formally rejoin and the locker room.
In Montreal, Arber Xhekaj states his intentions quite plainly.
Among the Canadiens players participating in the session were Cole Caufield, Noah Dobson, Oliver Kapanen, Alexandre Texier, and Lane Hutson.
Also present in the group as Montreal players get ready for camp were Josh Anderson, Alex Newhook, Phillip Danault, and Jake Evans.
For Xhekaj, his presence bears a different weight. Currently, he lacks the assurance of a signed contract that links him to the Canadiens.
Despite this, he is in Montreal, skating with the team and making preparations as if the next chapter of his career will be played in the same jersey.
However, it does not ensure that an accord is close at hand. Before camp, Montreal still has judgments to make, and contract talks may proceed at their own pace.
However, Xhekaj’s decision leaves no room for questions about his readiness to be present. He is not avoiding the firm throughout the talks.
Given his camp has stated this summer that he is at ease in Montreal despite rumors of interest from other places, his return to Brossard is even more remarkable.
The message is increasingly hard to ignore: Xhekaj wants to remain a Canadien, and he’s already acting like someone ready to earn his position back on St-Louis’ blue line.
