New details emerge regarding Arber Xhekaj's absence and the reason is surprising
Arber Xhekaj and Martin St-Louis are the story in Carolina after the Canadiens coach pulled the defenseman from the lineup for Game 1.
That decision was coming.
You could see it in Game 7 against Buffalo, when Xhekaj played only 1:52. For a defenseman supposed to bring edge and muscle, that kind of usage says plenty on its own.
St-Louis did not need to spell it out in a big speech. The ice time already did that for him.
This series is a different test for Montreal, and that is the whole point here.
The Hurricanes do not play the kind of series that naturally helps Xhekaj. Their game is built on pace, forecheck pressure, puck retrieval, and forcing defenders to move fast in transition.
That changes the value of Montreal's third pair right away.
Against Carolina, the safer bet is not the bigger body. It is the smoother skater.
In a series expected to be less physical, with fewer scrums after the whistles, it really wouldn't be surprising to see him return.
His mobility would be useful on the third pairing.» - Nicolas Cloutier
New details on Arber Xhekaj's absence just surfaced and fans didn't expect this
That is where Jayden Struble comes in.
The report points out that Struble played all 3 games against the Hurricanes this season, which matters because he already has real reps against Rod Brind'Amour's pace and structure.
His mobility is the selling point.
At the moment, it feels like St-Louis may prefer to stick with the defensive group that just delivered such a convincing performance.
Montreal needs defenders who can absorb speed, turn pucks over cleanly, and get out of trouble before Carolina's forecheck traps them in their own zone. That lines up a lot better with Struble's game than with Xhekaj's.
And that is the hard truth for Xhekaj.
In a slower, nastier series with more scrums and more net-front traffic, his profile can help a lot. In this matchup, his limited footspeed becomes a target.
That is exactly what St-Louis is trying to avoid.
The Canadiens have built this playoff run on defensemen who can move, close, and exit cleanly. Carolina punishes hesitation, and Montreal knows one bad breakout can turn into 3 shifts of chaos fast.
So this is not really a punishment move.
It is a matchup move.
Fans will still hate it, because Xhekaj brings emotion and presence that pop off the screen. But coaches in late May do not set the lineup for emotion. They set it for what the series demands.
Right now, the demand is speed.
That is why St-Louis made the call, and why it makes more sense than some fans want to admit. Xhekaj still has a place on this roster and in this run.
It just may not be against this opponent.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 21, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Juraj Slafkovsky | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Nick Suzuki | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Cole Caufield | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Phillip Danault | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ivan Demidov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Texier | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jake Evans | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kaiden Guhle | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Alex Newhook | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||