Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron are currently going through a period of uncertainty regarding their futures with the Montreal Canadiens.
As August approaches, they have yet to sign a contract, sparking speculation about their future with the team.
According to Marc-Olivier Beaudoin, it is possible that the Canadian will try to trade Barron before offering him a contract. This situation raises questions, as negotiations seem to be dragging on, raising doubts about the management's intentions.
“Anyway, it’s August and Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron still have contracts. Are they trying to trade Barron without a contract? What should Xhekaj’s contract look like? This should be pretty simple to fix!”
Beaudoin also points out that the Xhekaj issue seems easier to solve, although other teams may be interested in his services, especially as general manager Kent Hughes explores ways to acquire a striker.
“I don’t think they’re trying to trade him, but other GMs should definitely mention his name when KH calls for a striker!”
The situation recalls a similar scenario experienced by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2000s. Back then, the Ducks had a wealth of promising young defensemen, but made the mistake of getting rid of Shea Theodore, to fill the needs of others. They never recovered.
The Ducks had to choose between Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Shea Theodore, Josh Manson, Brandon Montour, Sami Vatanen and Marcus Pettersson.
They didn't protect Theodore in the expansion draft and simply gave him to the Vegas Golden Knights.
With all those young, top-tier defenders, the Ducks have yet to win a Stanley Cup, despite reaching the conference finals in 2015 and 2017.
Not only did the Ducks pick the wrong defenseman to sacrifice, but they ended up losing everyone else besides Cam Fowler.
The Canadians find themselves in a similar situation, with plenty of young defenders, but a relative lack of top forwards.
The Canadien direction, compiled by Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, continues to bring many talents to the line, including players like Lane Hutson, Adam Engström, David Reinbacher, and Bogdan Konyushkov, and Justin Barron acquissed via exchange.
The strategy is aimed at strengthening the defense, the cornerstone on which the team hopes to build its future success. After all, the Stanley Cup is won… on the blue line…
But beware. As Hughes points out, it's rare to see teams thrive on a highly talented defense but a poor offense.
Therefore, the Canadians will likely have to use some of that surplus of young defenders to acquire offensive talent, as they have previously done with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook.
Hughes remains open to complex deals to balance the squad, although he insists he is in no rush to act.
The uncertainty surrounding Xhekaj and Barron's contractual positions could therefore be resolved via trade by the end of the summer.
Kent Hughes just needs to avoid making the same mistakes the Ducks made. He'll regret it for the rest of his life.
