The Montreal Canadiens have a good problem: too many defensemen. Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, David Reinbacher, and Adam Engström are all competing for roster spots – but who makes the cut? In this video, we break down each player’s contract, strengths, weaknesses, and what their future looks like in Montreal.
Will Kent Hughes make a trade? Will Reinbacher force his way into the lineup? Let’s talk about the Habs’ blue-line battle.
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26 Comments
This topic actually kind of pains me to think about. 😬 Like 👍 Comment 💬 Subscribe 🔔
These are all young guys, they all have development time to reach their ceilings and everyone has a story to tell. 📈 I don't know what's going to happen but I'm along for the ride. 🎢
Who do YOU want to find their spots? 🤔
Whiskeylung 🥃
I don't think this should be a debate. Xhekaj makes everyone on the ice 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier – Montreal needs him.
Leaving a comment for Mr Algorithm
Xhekaj probably hangs on long time but as the seventh guy just because of the physicality .He is your Pierre Bouchard.
Mike Matheson is the quality defender who has trade value whose contract is coming to an end. Good to see what you can get for him in a trade.
Best of Guhle Struble, Rienbacher, Engstrom.
Reinbacher is 6'3 my guy
f0ck1ng easy… Guhle/Dobson, Hutson/Matheson , Xhekaj/Carrier, Struble rotation with Xhekaj (Reinbacher might change cards if he makes the lineup…
Not always the best player. What kind of role. Left or right handed. Kill penalties. Etc
Subscribed, great content!!
Totally with you on having “too many” Dmen, its a luxury few teams have, if injuries happen, and they do, its absolutely necessary to have some depth so the team does not fall.
About Xhekaj, he is still considered young at 24, and can still improve his defensive game. If he wants to have his spot on the team, and I think the team really wants him to make it, since tuff guys like him that can play, are rare and so necessary come playoffs, he should aim to become a “Kirkland signature” version of Shea Weber(sorry Arber for the Costco joke 😂). He’s got the shot and the size and toughness of Shea Weber, he needs to be more solid in his zone, and have that good first pass, and he would be pretty close to a non prime Shea Weber. (He’s does not need to put up the numbers that Shea did, because Hutson, Dobson, Matheson (if still here) are good for that. He basically should be filling the void from Savard, by blocking shots, being physical, and giving the coach confidence to play him at any moment, and specifically on the PK, where there is now a big spot to fill.
I like Struble too, but he is a more “common” type of defensmen, that can be drafted almost every year in rounds 2-7. So for him to be on the team (considering the lineup and prospects), he needs to be better than Xhekaj defensively. In the long run, I do still think that he is the most likely to be traded, specially if Arber “zones in” on his role.
In 3-4 years, the defensive core should be a bit different, and it will depend a lot on how some of these young players develop. I could see something like this in about 3 years (unless something big happens till then):
Reinbacher (RH) – Hutson (LH)
Dobson (RH) – Ghule (LH)
Carrier (RH) – Xekaj (LH) (or Matheson (LH) if he signs team friendly deal, but I see him getting traded at the deadline)
And fringe D being:
Engstrom and who ever is not traded yet or recently drafted prospects like Protz, Pickford, Konyushkov and others.
I think MTL fans should be hyped on the idea that Matheson could be a 3rd pair D, just based on the depth of the D core this season.
And that 2 seasons ago, he needed to be on the first pair.
Here is the thing, defenseman get injured it comes with the territory, having back ups or to many defenseman is a good problem because if they are in a position to make it deep they have a deep roster. It's kind of like pitchers in baseball, if you don't have the depth in your line up you will struggle in the standings. Trading any of these defenseman would be a HUGE mistake and could effect their over all success.
This means the puppies are playing in Laval for another season.
Too many fans overlook Xhekaj's flaws.
Yes, he brings something with energy and toughness, but I don't know if it's enough to make up for his basic errors.
Matheson directly to China. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200$
Struble Matheson and Wifi will not be habs in 3 years, Reinbacher and Engstrom will be regulars by then
Bring Engstrom in move Matheson! Bring Reinbacher and Move Struble or Carrier. Problem solved! Engstrom more defensive and cheaper than Matheson. Too many offensive minded dmen one has to go and that’s Matheson!
Yes Xhekaj needs to play whether it is with Carrier on bottom pair or with Hutson on top 4 maybe Struble & Xhekaj can audition with Hutson while Matheson is still here and until Reinbacher has settled in
Seeing a few people out there saying Hutson – Carrier
I don’t like Hutson / Carrier due to size
But to me it would be way better than seeing Hutson / Matheson again brutal in D zone without the puck getting hemmed in their zone for whole shifts at a time … no thx don’t want Hutson getting run down due to Matheson avoiding contact
Everyone imagines the pairings with puck possession starting from behind their net or at the opposing blue line
But very few people out there ever think of imagining the pairings separating players from puck, clearing the front of the net
2 things Matheson can’t seem to do and relies his D partner to do all the heavy lifting to get him the puck so he can use his elite skating to skate the puck up
To me
Ghule – Dobson
Xhekaj / Strubble – Hutson
Matheson – Carrier
One of Xhekaj or Struble as 7th
One of Reinbacher of Engstrom as 8th
Makes the most sense while Matheson is still here … much to my chagrin..
Reinbacher will be a wildcard if he makes team I think he does
If he does Matheson will be blocking 2 much grittier young D in Strubble & Xhekaj from the line up
Xhekaj + Strubble + Reinbacher =
3.599,500 in AAV this year
Matheson 4.875,00
That’s 1 million more for a guy that only brings puck moving to the line up and that’s if he is paired with a reliable D first partner
Math is simple in my books
Rather have 3 young D rotate, even have the space for an Engstrom or even a Trudeau who is a lost prospect locked out due to depth
Than a guy in the wrong side of 30 who can not be trusted to be the defensive D on a pairing
“THE EASIEST THING TO DO”
= move Matheson
Nothing against Mike the person, but if his best assets are good in the room, is local & speaks the language
C’mon… building a contender not handing out 🇫🇷 participation ribbons
imo its rein out , he has the best value and hes too weak , and we cannot pay 4 defense to much we need a 5th and a 6th defense not all top 3 defenses
I like Xhekaj very much, but I'm afraid he's cursed as an tough guy. He'll never be a superstar but he could become a pretty decent defenceman if he develops his other strenghts, notably his powerful shot from the blue line. But will he ever get this chance, in Montréal or elsewhere, or will he remain strictly an enforcer?
If the Habs don’t acquire a second line center, we should dress 7 defensemen.
You move off of Matheson. We have 2 dynamic offensive defenseman which would make the d lines be as follows. Guhle-Dobson, Hutson-Carrier, Wifi-Struble. Reinbacher and Engstrom rotate in for the 7th spot.
Matheson is good enough that he could be a piece in a trade if some team in the league decides to trade away a 2C.
not a habs fan (caps fan) but i've really been enjoying your content in the lulls of the summer. seems to me that xhekaj, even if he develops further, tops out at a 6D on a mid team and a 7D on a good playoff team. he's a guy that seems to bring value to the room (at least from what i can tell from the outside). i imagine habs management will have to end up trading some of the upcoming young D because of the logjam over the next few seasons, but if xhekaj plays company man and shows a willingness and ability to take that 7D spot he'll remain in the long term plans as the more talented dmen in the pipeline solidify their roles in the top 6. thanks again for all the summer hockey content! makes the wait for the season so much easier!
Aber xhekaj should play forward
Yay!!! 15K 🎉
Dee Fents ! last year Habs were 27 th >>> TWENTY SEVEN !! in goals against….woh. Ain"t going NOWHERE fast with that lousy a g.a. >>> and NO! not the goalies fault!
Next year Engstrom & Reinbacher >> Xhekaj & Struble. Tricky moves coming this year.
You can be sure that Reinbacher is taking one of those spots… guaranteed. It's gonna be a battle between Xhekaj and Struble. I like Struble, but I think I like Xhekaj a little more. Hopefully the coach too.
Hutson dobson guhle reinbacher(if healthy) wifi and carrier and matheson as a seventh idc what ppl say matheson is a sound defensemen great puck mover whether he has 60pts or 30 hes a solid blue liner