.png&w=3840&q=100)
Could Canadiens trade Arber Xhekaj during offseason?
Montreal Canadiens
By
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis made Arber Xhekaj a healthy scratch for nine of the last 10 regular-season games and for the first two playoff games against the Washington Capitals before finally giving him a shot in Game 3.
Is there a possibility the rugged 24-year-old defenceman doesn't fit into the Canadiens' future plans and could be traded during the offseason?
That's the question answered on this Hockey Inside/Out Show Bonus episode as The Gazette's Stu Cowan is joined by former Canadiens teammates and 1986 Stanley Cup champions Chris Nilan and Rick Green.
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
McDavid talks about Oilers facing possible elimination in Game 6 of Stanley Cup final
Connor McDavid chose his words carefully. The Oilers captain — undoubtedly hockey's best player — had just been asked about the pressure on himself in his team's moment of need. 'That's a pretty heavy question,' McDavid said with Edmonton facing elimination in the Stanley Cup final. 'I don't think about it that way. If you think about it that way, you'd be probably pretty crippled in terms of how you prepare and how you play. 'It's a big game. Everybody knows that. I know that. And I'm looking forward to it.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a big game. Everybody knows that. I know that. And I'm looking forward to it." That big game comes Tuesday night with the Oilers down 3-2 to the defending champion Florida Panthers in the NHL title series. Edmonton battled hard to get the showcase matchup even at 2-2 with a 5-4 overtime road victory after trailing 3-0 in the first period of Game 4, but then laid an egg at home in Saturday's 5-2 loss to press their collective back against the wall. Story continues below advertisement The Oilers, in short, have no margin for error. 'The Cup will be in the building,' McDavid said of Game 6. 'Those are games that you dream of. Obviously, it's not for us, but any time the Cup's in the building and you're playing, it's a good sign.' Edmonton will need a much better start to make sure hockey's holy grail gets put back in its case and loaded onto a plane for a potential Game 7 in the Alberta capital Friday. Florida, which topped the Oilers in seven in last year's final despite nearly blowing a 3-0 series lead, has outscored Edmonton 11-4 in the first period, including an ugly 7-0 mark over the last three contests. 'It would be nice to go out there and play with the lead,' said Oilers forward Corey Perry, competing in his sixth final. 'That's our goal — to start strong, get that first one and play from there.' Story continues below advertisement McDavid is tied for playoff scoring lead alongside teammate and fellow centre Leon Draisaitl with 33 points, but registered just his first goal of the final with Edmonton down 3-0 in Game 5. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The 28-year-old superstar has seen plenty of Florida captain Aleksander Barkov — a three-time Selke Trophy winner as the league's top defensive forward — in the series after getting another heavy dose last spring. 'It's going to be a tough test,' Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said of again trying to knock off Edmonton's No. 97. 'He's desperate to win a Cup … but so are we.' McDavid skated around a question about his own play when speaking to reporters following Monday's practice in sweltering Florida. 'It's not really about me,' he said. 'It's about us. It's about us trying to get a win here … that's what we're looking forward to. Story continues below advertisement Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said McDavid's leadership and accountability push the group forward. 'Sets the example,' Nurse said. 'When he speaks up, everyone has a lot of respect because of the amount of work that he puts in. Not only coming rink and preparing practice-wise, but knowing what goes on behind closed doors and the commitment and sacrifice and everything that he does for this game and for this team, it motivates us. Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch, who also had McDavid in junior with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters, said the Newmarket, Ont., product has been a talent others will follow from the start. 'It was his work ethic, his attention to detail, wanting to be the best player possible,' Knoblauch said of the No. 1 pick at the 2015 NHL draft. 'As he's gotten older, you become more comfortable at being a leader and you build that rapport with all the players. 'He's got so much respect from players because of the acknowledgment of the other players' contributions.' Perry played with McDavid at the world championships for Canada in 2016, but didn't really know him until joining the Oilers last season. Story continues below advertisement 'I was very surprised how outgoing he is in the dressing room, how he's friends with everybody,' said the 40-year-old. 'He's that leader. He has a voice and he uses it when something needs to be said. 'His actions speak louder than words … couldn't ask for a better captain.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "His actions speak louder than words … couldn't ask for a better captain." The Oilers have a well-documented history of bouncing back. They were down 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round last spring, trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 to open these playoffs and — of course — nearly pulled off a miraculous Cup final moment 12 months ago. 'For whatever reason, our group doesn't like to make it easy,' McDavid said. 'We've put ourselves in another difficult spot and it's our job to work our way out of it.' Story continues below advertisement The pressure is on.


CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Edmonton Oilers could join elite NHL teams who rallied in Game 6 to win Stanley Cup
Eight teams in NHL history have won Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final to force a seventh game and gone on to win the championship. The Edmonton Oilers are aiming to become the ninth after falling behind 3-2 to the Florida Panthers. Game 6 is Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla. Here's a look at the teams that have completed the comeback: 1942 — Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs trailed the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 before winning four straight to claim the Cup. They remain the only team in NHL history to erase a three-game deficit in the final. Toronto took Game 6 by a score of 3-0 and won Game 7 at Maple Leaf Gardens, 3-1. 1950 — Detroit Red Wings The Red Wings stayed alive with a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers in Game 6, then captured the Cup with a 4-3 double-overtime victory in Game 7. Pete Babando scored the winner. 1964 — Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto stayed alive with a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit in Game 6, then secured a third straight championship with a 4-0 win in Game 7 on the road. 1971 — Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens forced Game 7 with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, then captured the Cup with a 3-2 win at Chicago Stadium. Rookie goaltender Ken Dryden was named playoff MVP. 2001 — Colorado Avalanche The Avalanche responded to a Game 5 loss by shutting out the New Jersey Devils 4-0 in Game 6. They clinched the title with a 3-1 win in Game 7 in Denver. 2004 — Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay kept its season alive with a 3-2 double-overtime win over the Calgary Flames in Game 6, with Martin St. Louis scoring the winner. The Lightning went on to win their first Cup with a 2-1 victory in Game 7. 2009 — Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 6, then won the Cup with another 2-1 victory in Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena. Max Talbot scored both goals in the deciding game. 2011 — Boston Bruins The Bruins forced Game 7 with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, then clinched the series with a 4-0 shutout at Rogers Arena. Boston goaltender Tim Thomas made 37 saves in the deciding game.


Calgary Herald
3 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
How much pressure is Connor McDavid under to make sure Oilers Stanley Cup dream stays alive?
Sunrise, Fla. — As the best player on the planet, Connor McDavid is the brightest star, and he would clearly move heaven and earth to drag this Stanley Cup final back to his Edmonton home for a Game 7 and a chance to lift the cherished mug over his head. Article content And as much as we drag out the yellowed cliché that hockey is a team game, that no one player can will a team to the Cup, nobody is under the suffocating pressure of expectations more than 97 to keep the dream alive Tuesday night in Game 6 with the Oilers down 3-2 to the Florida Panthers. Article content Article content 'I don't think about it that way. If you think about it that way, you'd probably be pretty crippled in terms of how you prepare and how you prepare,' he said. Article content 'It's a big game, everybody knows that. I know that. And I'm looking forward to it,' said McDavid, who has the most points amongst active players in elimination contests (55 in 30 games) but unfortunately didn't get anything in Game 7 last June 24 in Florida as hard as he tried. Article content 'This is fun hockey, it's been a fun series to be part of. The Cup will be in the building. These games are what you dream of. Obviously it's not for us (just staying alive to fight another day in Edmonton) but anytime the Cup's in the building and you're playing…it's a good sign.' Article content Article content And McDavid is right. The Cup was in the house in Game 5 last June, with the wives and other loved ones at Amerant Arena, but the Oilers spoiled the storyline here. They did the same in Game 6 at Rogers Place with the wives flown in for the party. Article content Article content And Connor is right that it shouldn't all fall on him. He's got Leon Draisaitl, too. He has 51 points in the same 30 Oilers elimination games. Leon is certainly in the same constellation as McDavid as stars go. Just as Evgeni Malkin was to Sidney Crosby when the Penguins were trying to win their first Cup. Article content Yeah, let's look at how that played out. Article content Instead, Tyler Kennedy was the hero in Game 6 with the game-winner in a 2-1 result, and the fourth-line centre Max Talbot got the only two goals in the same 2-1 finish in Game 7. So, maybe Vasily Podkolzin will get the Oiler winner in Game 6 Tuesday and Mattias Janmark will pop two in Game 7, if it gets that far. As much as Crosby was under the gun, you can win without your best player being the best in Prime Time.