We’ve reached one of the most interesting players in the Montreal Canadiens prospect pool, forward Florian Xhekaj.
As a reminder, to qualify for our list, Habs prospects must under 24 years old and have fewer than 75 NHL games under their belt. The rankings are based on the votes from almost 10,000 Canadiens fans.
8. Florian Xhekaj, 21, Shoots Left, Centre/Left Wing, Laval Rocket (AHL), 6’4″, 205 lb. Picked 101st Overall (2023)
Xhekaj enjoyed the biggest bump in our annual rankings, going from No.19 last season all the way to No.8 this year. It’s a testament to his fantastic rookie season in the AHL, which saw him score 24 goals while mostly playing on the fourth line.
There were a few different factors that led to Xhekaj’s impressive goal-scoring pace, and we’ll discuss them a little later in this article, but the fact remains that he set the franchise record for goals by a rookie (24), blowing the previous record-holder out of the water (Lucas Condotta, 17).
On top of scoring 24 goals, Xhekaj added 11 assists, not to mention the most penalty minutes among all AHL players, with 175.
A lot like Jared Davidson, Xhekaj epitomizes hockey entertainment. Whenever he’s on the ice you can expect a hit, a goal, a fight, or if all else fails, an honest effort from a player who works harder than most. He was also quick to jump to his teammates’ defence whenever the situation called for a Xhekaj intervention.
Florian Xhekaj scores a beautiful goal to give the Laval Rocket a 2-1 lead.
Backhand goals are always great. #LavalRocket pic.twitter.com/aYTLPRfDyh
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 22, 2025
Florian Xhekaj’s Rookie Production
Xhekaj needed a little time to acclimatize to the pace of professional hockey, as evidenced by his lack of production to start the season. He scored just three goals and two assists in the first 25 games of the campaign, an underwhelming result to say the least.
And then came a magical night against the Bridgeport Islanders which resulted in a five-point effort by Xhekaj, essentially doubling his AHL production in fewer than 20 shifts.
It was a sign that Xhekaj was becoming much more comfortable in a professional setting, using his superior strength to carve out precious ice in high-danger scoring areas. He would go on to close out the final games of the regular-season schedule by scoring 18 goals and six assists.
Again, he did so from the fourth line, an impressive feat regardless of the fact that his shooting percentage hovered around 25 percent throughout most of the season.
We can’t ignore the inflated shooting efficiency, but we also can’t use it to outright dismiss Xhekaj’s rookie season.
He probably won’t come close to scoring on 25 percent of his shots moving forward, but anyone who has watched him play in the AHL knows that very few of those goals were flukes.
He paid the price to make his way to the net almost every time the Rocket managed to establish puck control in the offensive zone. Rebound goals may not feature often on highlight reels, but all goals hold the same value, and second-chance scoring opportunities are among the best scoring chances in hockey.
We should also note that Xhekaj displayed an impressive amount of versatility and creativity while being used in several different situations by Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent. Six of his goals were of the game-winning variety, and he managed to score four goals on both the powerplay and penalty kill.
Xhekaj is certainly a rough-and-tumble player who focuses on winning the war of attrition every shift, but he also has surprisingly soft hands when he’s not busy engaging in highly-entertaining fights.
Here’s the Florian Xhekaj goal in the shootout. Smooth hands from the forward. #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/4N6pT7J7Lt
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) July 5, 2024
What’s Next For Montreal Canadiens Prospect Florian Xhekaj?
There have been some battle lines drawn in the sand when it comes to Xhekaj’s long-term potential. Many ignore him due his lack of traditional hockey pedigree and relatively low draft position, while others are ready to promote him to the NHL as quickly as possible.
I’d argue his true value is somewhere in the middle, while also suggesting that the preconceived notions about his skill set were due to a lack of homework on behalf of the analysts who disregarded him on draft day. Not every prospect follows the same development path, and we know that the Xhekajs tend to be late bloomers.
If he can maintain a more realistic goal-scoring pace next season in the AHL, it’ll go a long way in convincing Kent Hughes and Co. that he deserves an extended audition in the NHL, where he would serve as a hard-hitting forward who provides a spark when needed, as well as tertiary offence when the opportunities arise.
Of course, there’s also a possibility that he may earn a roster spot with the Montreal Canadiens at training camp.
It’s not a likely scenario, but I tend to avoid betting against Xhekajs, since they have a long history of proving people wrong.
Previously Published 2025 Montreal Canadiens Prospect Articles:
Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.10 – Adam Engstrom
Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.9 – Joshua Roy
Montreal Canadiens Top Prospect Rankings – Final List
Do you agree or disagree with the Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings? Let us know in the comments below!
Montreal Canadiens and Florian Xhekaj statistics via Elite Prospects
