Just calm down with Arber’s contract!
Yesterday was an excellent day for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge and its fans, as Alex Newhook received a 4-year extension at $5.5 million per season, right after news that Sheriff Arber Xhekaj had accepted a one-year contract for $1.5 million. Two excellent pieces of news, 24 hours before the start of training camp.
I don’t know what you think of the one-year contract given to Arber Xhekaj, but on my side, I see it as excellent news. However, everything I saw or heard after that contract was negative!
Why wait all that time for only one season? Why accept only $1.5 million? Arber must be pissed to have gotten only one year. It’s Xhekaj’s last year in Montreal, and so on. In short, nothing but negativity, even though No. 72 will still be a restricted free agent at the end of this one-year deal.
I was one of those who believed Arber was cooked and that he would not be back with the club for the 2026-27 season. So for me, one season is already one more season than I expected. Rather than looking for the negative in this contract, I’d rather focus on the positive: he will be an RFA at the end of this deal. First, $1.5 million is a raise compared to his last contract, which was $1.3 million. I agree it’s not a substantial increase, but with the cap going up to $113.5 million next season, Arber will be able to sign a bigger contract, and he will still have arbitration rights. He could even be extended during this season if things go well for him. I’m convinced the 25-year-old defenseman is very happy with this contract and that he will do everything in his power to show he can be one of the six defensemen with the Habs for several more seasons.
That said, it doesn’t mean he won’t end up in the press box a few times this season, or that he won’t be benched during a game. It doesn’t mean this isn’t his last season with the Canadiens, or that he won’t be traded during the year. For now, Arber Xhekaj is a Montreal Canadien, and that’s all that matters to me!
After debating with several people that the one-year contract was a lot less negative than what the media tried to make us swallow, I then had to debate that the arrival of Dylan Larkin was not what the Canadiens needed. A large number of fans are still ready to sacrifice Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, David Reinbacher, Oliver Kapanen, and first-round picks to acquire Larkin.
Will Hage be better than Dylan Larkin? Nobody has the answer to that question, and the same goes for the Zharovsky.
Why would we want Larkin?
Here are four reasons why I have no interest in seeing Dylan Larkin land in Montreal:
1- Montreal was never on his list from the start.
2- The guy is entering his 12th season in the league and has been a point-per-game player only once in those 12 seasons. All that while playing 20+ minutes per game and being on the first power-play unit.
3- It will cost too much. I don’t know about you, but sacrificing a young guy like Michael Hage for a 30-year-old makes no sense in my humble opinion. How many good seasons does the American have left at age 30? 3 to 5 at most! Are you really ready to sacrifice Hage for a player with a career plus-minus of -100 at 5 on 5 with the Wings? I get that the window is wide open, but that window could close quickly with trades like that.
4- What playoff experience would he bring once we get there? Larkin has played a total of only 5 playoff games! We don’t even know what kind of player he will be once he gets to the playoffs.
Anyway, you have the right to disagree with me, and that’s fine. I invite you to leave your comments and opinions on both topics.
With that, have a good day everyone!
The AnalystX