Arber Xhekaj says he had offer from Canadiens' rival before signing as undrafted free agent

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj has faced plenty of adversity in his hockey career, from going undrafted in the Ontario Hockey League and the NHL to suffering season-ending shoulder injuries in his first two years with the Habs.

As Xhekaj embarks on his third season in the National Hockey League, he recently sat down for an interview on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast to talk about his path to becoming an NHL defenceman.

During the interview, Xhekaj revealed that he received a contract offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs as an undrafted free agent, but decided to wait and eventually got a call from the Montreal Canadiens, who he cheered for growing up, and signed with them.

The 23-year-old became a restricted free agent back in early July, but just a few weeks later, was re-signed to a two-year contract with the Canadiens worth $1.3 million per season.

It's going to be a big season for Arber Xhekaj and while he's guaranteed a spot on the Canadiens' opening night roster, he'll have some tough competition in training camp when it comes to earning ice time. Rookies Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher will be looking to earn a roster spot right out of training camp, along with Logan Mailloux as well, who had a strong year in the AHL with Laval in 2023-24.

Source: Leafs Latest on Instagram