Arber Xhekaj extension: his future salary has likely emerged

This summer will be a quiet one for Kent Hughes with the Canadiens in terms of contract signings, as only one free agent of interest needs to be extended: Arber Xhekaj.

The 23-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent, a status he will maintain until the summer of 2028.

This means that, according to the game plan of the Tricolore's GM, if he does not want to agree on a long-term deal, he has the option to sign him to a two-year contract while maintaining the same status at the end of this agreement.

In order to determine the terms of this next contract, the show l'Antichambre on RDS noted some comparables to Xhekaj to find out what it might cost the Canadiens to extend him.



The comparatives presented by RDS are mainly physical defenders who can produce around fifteen points per season.

To be honest, although the players on the list share similarities with CH's number 72, I believe he has a higher offensive potential than any of them.

If Hughes believes that the best option is to give him another two years to prove himself, while retaining his services as a restricted free agent at the end of the agreement, a salary in the range of $1.5 million to $2 million seems to be the benchmark.

However, if a medium-term extension of 3 to 4 years is decided, the comparative of Nicolas Hague, at $2.3 million, would be the minimum for him. I even believe that his salary could potentially approach $2.5 million.

In 44 games this season, Xhekaj scored three goals and registered 10 points. He has a total of eight goals and 23 points in 95 career NHL games.