The Montreal Canadiens made a pair of roster moves following Wednesday’s shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets.
Xhekaj, 21, had played in five straight games with Montreal before being scratched on Wednesday. He recorded an assist in his NHL debut on Nov. 22 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but had been held off the scoresheet in the four contests that followed.
The younger brother of Canadiens defenceman Arber, Florian, was replaced in Montreal’s forward lineup by Jared Davidson.
Florian had two goals, four points and 44 penalty minutes in 16 games with Laval during the season.
Engstrom, meanwhile, had played just two games with Montreal after being recalled on Nov. 26. In those two contests, he averaged 12:06 of ice time and played to an even rating.
The 21-year-old defenceman had five goals and 14 points in 18 AHL games to open 2025-26.