Canadiens sign Florian Xhekaj to 3-year contract; brother Arber to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery
Posted April 9, 2024 2:32 pm.
The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Florian Xhekaj, the younger brother of defenceman Arber Xhekaj, to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced on Tuesday.
He also signed a professional tryout offer that will allow him to join the AHL’s Laval Rocket for the remainder of the season.
The 19-year-old finished with 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games for the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs this season. He also had five points in six playoff games. He totalled 47 goals and 90 points over the course of his two-year OHL career.
He was selected by the Habs in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Canadiens announced that Arber would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The Habs added that they expect him ready for next season.
Xhekaj was listed as out for the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and was not given a timetable to return pending further evaluation.
He injured his shoulder in the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in bizarre fashion. In the third period, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos collided with teammate Brandon Hagel and Xhekaj got caught in the cross-fire with Mikey Eyssimont believing that he had something to do with the collision.
The 23-year-old has already missed time this season with an upper-body injury.
In his second NHL season, Xhekaj has three goals and seven assists for 10 points while notching 81 PIM in 44 games.
