Florian Xhekaj: the Panthers really wanted to draft him (and the Habs knew it)

Dose
Crédit: YouTube

In the 2023 draft, the Habs selected Florian Xhekaj 101st overall. The Habs reunited the two brothers… who both played with the big club last Saturday.

It was a special moment for the family, clearly.

That said, yesterday we learned that, at the time, Pierre Dorion had Xhekaj in his sights. He really wanted to select him… but he didn’t get a turn until the 108th rank. By then, Xhekaj had already been selected.

Tonight, Elliotte Friedman also talked about Florian’s case at the 2023 draft in his 32 Thoughts column… and what we learn is that another team really wanted to select him.

We’re talking about the Florida Panthers, another division rival of the Habs.

Friedman explains that the Panthers met with Florian numerous times during the process, including a meeting the day before the draft. It’s usually a sign that a team really wants a prospect when that happens.

And the Panthers intended to select Xhekaj somewhere between the third and sixth rounds. The club held a second-round pick, used to select Gracyn Sawchyn… but his next pick was only 127th.

As with the Senators, Xhekaj was no longer available to the Panthers. And it’s interesting to read that, according to Friedman, the Habs knew that the Panthers were interested in Florian.

We can therefore assume that this may have precipitated Xhekaj’s selection. The Habs knew they were coming into the window where Florian would start to interest other teams, and they made sure not to let him slip through their hands.

The Panthers could have stepped forward to beat the Habs, that said. But given that the club didn’t have a ton of options, it wasn’t easy to pull off.

In short, we understand that Xhekaj was a prospect of interest to many clubs at the 2023 draft. And we agree that the Panthers, who play a very physical style, had good reason to like Arber’s little brother.

Overtime

– Of note.

– Interesting.

– That’s right.

– Craig Conroy is expected to sign a contract extension with the Flames.

– This is a very big signing for the Blue Jays.