Arber Xhekaj has been a fan favorite Montreal Canadien from the day he debuted back in 2022, but a logjam on defense when healthy left him as the odd man out before the Olympic break — and could result in the writing being on the wall for his time with the team.
There’s no guarantee he’s traded before the March 6 deadline, but as an RFA at season’s end, it feels likely that, at the very least, there’s a chance he’ll be finding a new home before the start of the 2026–27 campaign.
While Xhekaj might not be able to carve out a full-time role in Montreal, there are certainly other teams around the league that could use him, and one of those is the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Arber Xhekaj Makes Sense for the Penguins
Despite sitting second in the Metropolitan Division and appearing poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021–22, GM Kyle Dubas won’t stray from his long-term plan. As a result, moves like acquiring Yegor Chinakhov for a second- and third-round pick are the type of calculated additions you can expect if he buys at all — and Xhekaj fits that mold perfectly.
Not only that, but if there’s one area Dubas will prioritize, it’s the blue line — particularly the left side. Parker Wotherspoon has been a tremendous surprise while handling top-pairing duties alongside Erik Karlsson, but beyond that, things get thin quickly. Brett Kulak has been solid since arriving from Edmonton, but is a pending UFA and unlikely to stick around beyond 2025-26, while fellow defensemen Ryan Shea, Connor Clifton, and Ilya Solovyov are also on expiring deals.
Xhekaj would help immediately in a playoff push should the Penguins get proactive, but he makes even more sense long term as the type of young, bruising defenseman Pittsburgh has lacked for years. They’ve long been missing that bite and snarl on the blue line — a necessity in the postseason — and Xhekaj would give them one of the more physical, intimidating presences in the league who has proven he can handle NHL minutes.
Arber Xhekaj Montreal Canadiens defenseman
Given that the acquisition cost shouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary, and the Penguins have an abundance of cap space to sign Xhekaj to a new contract, just about everything lines up for Dubas to be a serious player in any sweepstakes.
Canadiens and Penguins Ideal Trade Partners?
While Xhekaj should undoubtedly be on Pittsburgh’s radar, he’s not the only Canadien who would make sense for the Pens.
A low-risk, potentially high-reward swing on Patrik Laine won’t appeal to many teams, but the Penguins are one landing spot that could check all the boxes, which insider Dan Kingerski has already wondered about. Beyond that, if Montreal is ever willing to listen on players like Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook, they would also align with Dubas’ retooling approach.
He and Habs GM Kent Hughes are quite familiar with one another, having notably connected on the three-team deal that brought Karlsson to Pittsburgh shortly after Dubas took over. Given that history — and the number of Canadiens who could appeal to the Penguins — keep an eye on these two teams as potential trade partners, whether that be before the deadline or come the offseason.
Next: Insider Reveals Whether the Canadiens Still Have Hope of Landing Sidney Crosby
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