JUST IN: Montreal Canadiens make crucial decision regarding Florian Xhekaj

The Montreal Canadiens have made an intriguing move regarding Arber Xhekaj’s younger brother, Florian Xhekaj.

Florian will suit up tonight at the Bell Centre against the New Jersey Devils, and notably, the Canadiens’ management has slotted him into the fourth line, where he’ll play alongside Michael Pezzetta and Xavier Simoneau.

#Habs Florian Xhekaj will center a 4th line with Michael Pezzetta and Xavier Simoneau tonight.

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) September 24, 2024

As Priyanta Emrith reports, “Florian Xhekaj will center the fourth line with Michael Pezzetta and Xavier Simoneau tonight.”

This lineup promises to be a challenging one for the Devils and an exciting combination for Canadiens fans to watch.

Florian Xhekaj is currently labeled as a fourth-line player

This suggests that the Canadiens currently view Florian as a fourth-line player, even for preseason games. However, this isn’t necessarily a negative, as it may be his best path into the regular lineup in Montreal.

Here’s the full lineup:

**Forwards:**
– Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
– Gallagher-Evans-Armia
– Farrell-Beck-Mesar
– Pezzetta-Xhekaj-Simoneau

**Defensemen:**
– Matheson-Reinbacher
– Struble-Mailloux
– Trudeau-Hayes

**Goaltenders:**
– Montembeault
– Hughes

As previously mentioned, Logan Mailloux will be the only player participating in back-to-back games. He’ll need a standout performance to convince Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton to keep him in the NHL in the next two weeks.

The Canadiens announce two changes and a mysterious decision involving Logan Mailloux #NHL #GoHabsGo #GHG https://t.co/zJOuFPMJqv

— Habs Fanatics (@habsfanaticss) September 24, 2024

Florian Xhekaj, now 20 years old, standing at 6’4″, recorded 65 points (34 goals) in 63 games last season in the OHL. He also appeared in three games with the Laval Rocket, making him another player to watch closely tonight.