Big statement about Arber Xhekaj and it will please his fans
Arber Xhekaj has only 30 games of NHL experience and he is already a crowd favorite. People love his story, his intensity, his toughness and most importantly the fact that he never hesitates to drop the gloves.
Already this season, the 21-year-old has dropped the gloves five times (and twice in preseason). What's even more impressive is that he doesn't look at who he's up against and doesn't hesitate to take on the big boys of the league like Pat Maroon, Zach Kassian and Nicolas Deslauriers. At every opportunity, he has proven that he can stand up to them and even get the better of them.
The defenseman's pugilistic performances have impressed many, including former tough guy Paul Bissonnette. Bissonnette recently revealed that, despite his young age, Xhekaj was already in his top 5 fighter list in the league.
"It's hard to put him in the top three because you haven't seen him fight MacDermid, Deslauriers or Matt Martin yet, but I can say with confidence that he's a top five fighter." - Paul Bissonnette
Yes, Bissonnette was wrong, Xhekaj did fight Deslauriers on November 19 in Montreal.
Still, it's quite an honor for the young man to be considered among the tops in this profession. The former tough guy goes even further in his analysis saying that he reminds him of Kurtis MacDermid.
Bissonnette even adds that he is devastated that Xhekaj will not be able to play against Ryan Reaves this season as he was recently traded to the Minnesota Wild.
"I'm devastated because Minnesota has already played both of their games against Montreal. And Reavo [Reaves] wasn't there at that point. And the New York Rangers in January were going to play Montreal twice. I thought we were going to see a heavyweight fight between Reavo and WiFi." - Paul Bissonnette
Xhekaj, however, could face Kurtis MacDermid as early as tonight as the CH takes on the Colorado Avalanche. Many will surely be on the edge of their seats if a matchup between the two takes place.
Previously on HabsFanatics
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 21 | 28 ANSWERS Big statement about Arber Xhekaj and it will please his fans Is Arber Xhekaj a top 5 fighter already in the league? | ||
| Yes | 25 | 89.3 % |
| No | 3 | 10.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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