{"id":875421,"date":"2026-08-29T05:18:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T05:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/875421\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T05:18:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T05:18:23","slug":"arber-xhekaj-an-important-piece-for-canadiens-captain-nick-suzuki-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/875421\/","title":{"rendered":"Arber Xhekaj an ‘important piece’ for Canadiens, captain Nick Suzuki says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Less than three weeks before the start of training camp, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has yet to sign restricted free agents Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc to new contracts.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth are really important players,\u201d Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said Thursday, when he met with media members ahead of the Heroes Golf Tournament to benefit the Asista Foundation at the St-Rapha\u00ebl club on \u00cele-Bizard. \u201cZach had a good year. He took steps throughout the season and into the playoffs. Obviously, Arber is a big and important piece for our locker room and on the ice. So, hopefully, both guys can get it done. There\u2019s still plenty of time, so pretty hopeful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sept. 16 is a date to watch when it comes to the contract situations for Xhekaj and Bolduc because that\u2019s when the NHL\u2019s new collective bargaining agreement kicks in, and it\u2019s also when the Canadiens are expected to start training camp.<\/p>\n

Among the changes to the CBA, players can\u2019t sign for more than seven years with their current team, instead of eight, and signing bonuses will be capped at 60 per cent of the total value of the contract. That could be big in any sign-and-trade deals teams might be working on, like the one the Canadiens made last summer to acquire defenceman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders after he agreed to an eight-year, US$76-million contract with an annual salary-cap hit of US$9.5 million.<\/p>\n

Hughes would love to add a top-six forward and an experienced right-shot defenceman to the lineup, and you have to think Xhekaj, 25, and Bolduc, 23, are two players other teams would be interested in as part of any package deal. Bringing in a top-six forward and\/or a defenceman would also have an impact on the Canadiens\u2019 salary cap and what Hughes might be willing to offer Xhekaj and\/or Bolduc if they remain with the team.<\/p>\n

\t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n

It makes sense for Hughes to be patient and weigh all his options.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had my druthers, we did it yesterday,\u201d Hughes said when he last met with the media on July 1 after making no major moves when the free-agent market opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere could be a trade in September or October,\u201d Hughes added.<\/p>\n

Hughes also noted he wouldn\u2019t make a \u201cdumb trade\u201d just to appease Canadiens fans on a short-term basis.<\/p>\n

Xhekaj had 1-3-4 totals in 65 regular-season games last season to go along with a team-leading 116 penalty minutes while having a salary-cap hit of US$1.3 million. The blue-liner was a healthy scratch for six of the Canadiens\u2019 19 playoff games, posting 1-1-2 totals and 28 penalty minutes in the 13 games he played. If Hughes does acquire a right-shot defenceman, there won\u2019t be a spot for Xhekaj in the lineup.<\/p>\n

Bolduc had 12-18-30 totals in 78 regular-season games with a salary-cap hit of US$863,334 and the forward played in all 19 playoff games while posting 3-4-7 totals.<\/p>\n

Xhekaj\u2019s agent, Brian Bartlett, had no comment on his client\u2019s situation when reached Friday by text message. Bartlett did speak with The Gazette\u2019s Herb Zurkowsky at the end of last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a long time until the season starts,\u201d Bartlett said at the time<\/a>. \u201cWe have to try and figure out where he fits into the structure of the team. Montreal has some decisions to make. We have some decisions to make. There\u2019s no panic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s a really good player,\u201d Bartlett added about Xhekaj. \u201cGood teams like good players. The communication has been positive with the management group. I don\u2019t have any indication to think that things are going to go off the rail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Canadiens owner\/president Geoff Molson was interviewed by RDS this week at a golf tournament and was asked about the Xhekaj and Bolduc contract situations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always eager to see situations involving important players get resolved,\u201d Molson said. \u201cAnd I have no doubt that it will get done, but am I worried? No.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

x.com\/StuCowan1<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Profile<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tI grew up dreaming of being an NHL defenceman or an MLB pitcher, but that didn’t happen. Fortunately, I was able to find another path to work in sports and have been part of The Gazette sports department since the early 1980s, including a 12-year stint as sports editor before becoming sports columnist in 2015. It’s a great job and I’m a lucky guy.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tscowan@postmedia.com
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