With Kaiden Guhle’s recent return to the lineup, we were wondering who would be the odd man out on defense. In the end, it was a forward Joshua Roy who was left out in favor of Guhle.

Martin St-Louis indeed went with a lineup of 11 forwards and 7 defensemen.

Even though he was technically dressed on Friday night, it’s safe to say that Arber Xhekaj was ultimately the one who paid the price, and in a big way.

Early in the game, it became clear that Martin St-Louis had had enough of the Sheriff, benching him for the majority of the contest.

A slap in the face for Arber Xhekaj

Number 72 finished his night with a ridiculous ice time of just 3 minutes and 52 seconds (and a -1 rating).

Clearly, Martin St-Louis has had enough, and it will be interesting to see what happens today with Xhekaj, especially since Jayden Struble has been playing very well lately.

Do you think Xhekaj will be left out today?

Do you think he should soon be scratched from Martin St-Louis’s lineup?

Big decisions coming for Arber Xhekaj, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher and company

Major decisions will definitely need to be made, and with the emergence of young players like David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux and others, it feels like Xhekaj’s spot in Montreal is once again on shaky ground.

He brings a very important dimension to this team and can truly be a solid asset for the Canadiens-and a unique one-but it feels like every time things are going well for Xhekaj, something throws it all off track.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how this situation will be handled between now and the end of the NHL regular season, and also in the playoffs (if applicable).

UPDATE

Arber Xhekaj will be a healthy scratch vs the Panthers this afternoon and Michael Pezzetta will replace him in the lineup.