"What a joke": Arber Xhekaj's move to AHL's Laval Rocket has Canadiens fans in limbo

On Monday, the Montreal Canadiens loaned out defenseman Arber Xhekaj to Laval Rocket, their top affiliate team in the AHL. It came after the Habs activated the 22-year-old off their injured reserve.

Many Canadiens fans felt in limbo following the move and were put into a state of uncertainty about what the future holds for the Xhekaj with La Sainte-Flanelle.

Arber Xhekas had not played for the Habs for the last two weeks and spent that period on injured reserve. In the Canadiens' 6-5 loss to the Golden Knights on November 16, Xhekaj got himself injured after taking a hit from Knights forward Ivan Barbashev.

Following the collision, the 22-year-old blue liner visibly appeared to be in utter discomfort before eventually exiting the contest. Here's how fans on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to the move:

One tweeted:

"What a joke"

Here are some more reactions on X:

Arber Xhekaj also took part in Monday's morning skate with the Habs ahead of their matchup against the Seattle Kraken. So far, Xhekaj has accumulated one goal and registered 47 penalty minutes in 17 games.

Arber Xhekaj's career stats

Montreal Canadiens v Toronto Maple Leafs

The 22-year-old Hamilton, Ontario, native made his way to the NHL as an undrafted player. In 2022, he made it to the Montreal Canadiens roster and made his league debut on Oct. 10.

Five days later, Xhekaj recorded his first point in a game against the Washington Capitals. Xhekaj's debut season looked promising; however, due to a season-ending injury, he only played 55 games in his debut season with the Habs, recording 13 assists through five goals and eight assists.

In his short two-year career, he has played 62 games, notching up 16 points through six goals and 10 assists with 148 penalty minutes. Arber Xhekaj has yet to play a game in the AHL. Meanwhile, the Rocket are scheduled to take on the Belleville Senators on Wednesday.