When Will Canadiens’ Florian Xhekaj Make His Season Debut?

The Montreal Canadiens made one of their more interesting roster decisions at the end of training camp when they elected to keep Florian Xhekaj in Montreal. After a strong preseason in which he showed exactly what he can bring with his size, physicality, and energy, Xhekaj earned his opportunity to stick around.

However, through the Canadiens’ first two games of the season, Xhekaj has yet to get into the lineup. That raises a pretty simple question: When will the 22-year-old finally make his season debut? It is tough to believe the Canadiens kept Xhekaj in Montreal simply to have him watch games from the press box. At some point, Martin St. Louis will have to find a spot for him.

Florian Still Waiting for His Opportunity

The Canadiens have played two games so far, and Xhekaj has been a healthy scratch for both. Montreal opened the season with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs before losing in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins. There has not necessarily been a pressing reason for St. Louis to make significant changes to his forward group, especially this early in the season.

Still, keeping Xhekaj around only makes sense if the Canadiens plan on using him. Xhekaj brings a different element than most of Montreal’s forwards. He is 6-foot-3, plays a heavy game, is willing to get involved physically, and showed during training camp that he can make an impact beyond simply dropping the gloves. His preseason performance was strong enough to earn him a roster spot despite considerable competition among Montreal’s forwards.

When Could Xhekaj Make His Debut?

The Canadiens have three games coming up this week, starting Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. They then face the Nashville Predators on Thursday before taking on the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

The Hurricanes game might not be the most obvious opportunity to make a change. Thursday against Nashville becomes more interesting. The Predators are not the toughest opponent, and that could create an opportunity for Xhekaj to enter the lineup and provide some additional size and energy to Montreal’s bottom six. If the Canadiens want to see how his game translates to the regular season, that matchup would make plenty of sense.

If not Thursday, Saturday against the Red Wings feels like another realistic possibility. By then, Montreal will have played four games without Xhekaj. At some point, keeping a young player in the NHL without actually playing him becomes difficult to justify. If the Canadiens believe he is better served developing in Montreal than playing significant minutes with the Laval Rocket, they need to give him opportunities.

That does not mean Xhekaj has to become an everyday player immediately. Montreal has enough forward depth to rotate players in and out of the lineup. But getting him into a game this week would be a logical start.

Who Comes Out of the Lineup?

Of course, getting Xhekaj into a game means somebody else has to come out. Alexandre Texier appears to be one of the most likely candidates if St. Louis decides to make a change. The Canadiens have considerable competition in the bottom six, and Texier is one of the players who could find himself rotating in and out depending on performance and matchups.

There is another factor complicating the situation. Oliver Kapanen has yet to play this season because of an injury. Once he is healthy enough to return, he will likely be ahead of Xhekaj in the lineup. That could make Xhekaj’s path to playing time even more difficult.

It is another reason Montreal should consider giving Xhekaj a game sooner rather than later. If Kapanen remains unavailable Thursday or Saturday, the Canadiens have an opportunity to see what Xhekaj can provide before their forward group becomes even more crowded. He earned his roster spot with his performance during camp, and now he deserves an opportunity to prove whether he can keep it.

The Canadiens did not keep Florian Xhekaj in Montreal just to have him watch 84 games from the stands. His role might be limited, and he may eventually spend time in Laval, but Montreal needs to find out what it has.