Stu Cowan: Canadiens think prospect Florian Xhekaj could be special

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Nick Bobrov, the Canadiens’ co-director of amateur scouting, described forward Florian Xhekaj as a “unicorn” ahead of last year’s NHL Draft.

“To me, I’d personally like to walk away with that guy,” Bobrov said in a behind-the-scenes video the Canadiens released of a scouting meeting held ahead of last year’s draft in Nashville.

The Canadiens were able to select Xhekaj in the fourth round (101st overall).

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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a unicorn as “a mythical, usually white animal generally depicted with the body and head of a horse with long flowing mane and tail and a single often spiralled horn in the middle of the forehead” or “something unusual, rare, or unique.”

The dictionary does not describe a unicorn as a goal-scorer, but that’s what Xhekaj became last season.

Xhekaj had 13 goals and 12 assists in 68 games with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs the season before the Canadiens drafted him, to go along with 76 penalty minutes and a minus-17 differential. Last season with the Bulldogs — who moved to Brantford — Xhekaj had 34 goals and 31 assists in 63 games to go along with 81 penalty minutes and a plus-17 differential.

Xhekaj was listed at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds ahead of last year’s draft. At the Canadiens’ development camp this month in Brossard, he was measured at 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds. Xhekaj stood out with his size and strength during a scrimmage that wrapped up the development camp, scoring two goals and adding another in a shootout that followed the scrimmage.

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“He had a great season last year,” Rob Ramage, the Canadiens’ director of player development, said when asked about Xhekaj. “Started off on the wing. They put him at centre and he just took off. He’s got the big frame like his brother (Arber). He’s 6-4 (actually 6-3) … I think he’s only weighing in at around 195, 197. He’s not going to be 240 like the big truck (Arber). But, once again, some of these guys, the off-ice right now is going to be really important and he’s going to grow into it. There’s a lot to like about this guy.”

Ramage and Francis Bouillon, a Canadiens’ player development coach, kept in close contact with Xhekaj throughout last season, visiting him regularly in Brantford. Ramage noted that while the Canadiens didn’t draft Xhekaj as a goal-scorer, that is an added bonus to the rest of his hockey package.

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“I got to see him quite a bit this season,” Ramage said. “Very responsible. His hockey sense was way better I think than everybody anticipated and he’s still raw. Very excited about him.”

The Canadiens were excited enough to sign Xhekaj to a three-year, NHL entry-level contract in April and have him play three games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket at the end of last season, during which he had no points.

“It definitely had a lot of benefit for me,” Xhekaj said about playing for the Rocket. “Playing with older guys … I was one of the older guys in the OHL and then going up for three games in the AHL was definitely different. Everyone’s bigger, stronger — older in general. They’ve been playing the game for longer. I took a lot from the game and I’m trying to apply with my game and be ready for wherever I play next year.”

Xhekaj turned 20 on June 27 and could return to the OHL next season as an overage player — but he’s most likely to play in Laval. He said signing his first NHL contract gave him a confidence boost — just like getting drafted by the Canadiens did.

Xhekaj will attend the Canadiens’ main training camp and is hoping he can surprise people like his older brother did two years ago — after not even getting drafted — and make the NHL.

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“I’m confident,” Xhekaj said. “I want to make the Montreal Canadiens this year. That’s what I’m here to do. … I’m just trying to work hard every day and hopefully that happens.”

Arber was eligible to become a restricted free agent on July 1, but Canadiens GM Kent Hughes kept the defenceman’s rights by giving him a qualifying offer reported to have a set value of US$813,750. Arber is unlikely to sign that offer since his cap hit last season on his NHL entry-level contract was US$828,333. Arber and his brother recently changed agents, leaving Victor Saljanin and joining Bartlett Hockey.

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“I don’t know too much about him with his contract,” Xhekaj said about his older brother. “I just kind of do my own thing.”

And his own thing now includes scoring goals.

“I always knew I had skill and a good shot,” Xhekaj said. “It’s just opportunity. I got an opportunity to play with some top players on my team and I just capitalized on it and pucks were going in.

“I think I just got bigger, stronger, more confident in the OHL,” he added. “Confident as a person … off the ice that helped a lot. I think just confidence with the puck — handling the puck, shooting, everything.”

Xhekaj really is looking like a unicorn.

scowan@postmedia.com

x.com/StuCowan1

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