Bad news is piling up for the Montreal Canadiens. His young defender Arber Xhekaj is undergoing shoulder surgery and will be out for the rest of the season.
Medical Update 4/4:
Arber Xhekaj will have surgery on his right shoulder at the end of the season next week. The operation will be performed in Denver by Dr. Peter J. Millett conducted.
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) February 26, 2023
The Habs announced this on Twitter on Saturday evening. The 22-year-old rookie will go under the knife next week due to a right shoulder injury. The surgery will take place in Denver and will be performed by Dr. Peter J. Millett, who previously operated on Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Xhekaj has become a crowd favorite in 2022-23. Having caused an upset at the end of training camp with a place in the defensive brigade, he also amazed with his resilience and surprising offensive instincts.
In 51 games, the draft-never has five goals and 13 points. He also spent 101 minutes in the penalty area.
The CH also announced that Kirby Dach (lower body injury) and Joel Armia (respiratory tract infection) will not be accompanying the team to California. Joel Edmundson, meanwhile, will be traveling and is expected to attend training on Monday.