Florian Xhekaj's AHL Struggles Delay Canadiens Call-Up Despite Injuries

Despite injuries to key players and a desire from some Montreal Canadiens fans to see him in the NHL, Florian Xhekaj has not been called up due to his slow start in the AHL. The 21-year-old prospect, who had a strong training camp, has only managed four points (two goals, two assists) in 15 games for the Laval Rocket this season, spending much of his time in the bottom six. While he did skate on the first line briefly on Saturday, this was an exception. Calling up Xhekaj now would be unfair to other prospects and send the wrong message, according to the team's strategy. Coach Pascal Vincent had aimed for Xhekaj to take the next step this season after scoring 35 points (24 goals) last year. With Joshua Roy and Jared Davidson now with the Canadiens, Xhekaj is expected to receive more ice time with the Rocket. He needs to capitalize on this opportunity to earn a future call-up, especially with Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach out long-term.