Habs Hebdo: Justified Sanction for Ivan Demidov (?) and Florian Xhekaj’s Streak Continues!

Welcome to this new edition of the Habs Hebdo, your weekly column on the Montreal Canadiens’ prospects. For all previous columns: Habs Hebdo Section.

The episode featuring the top 15 Montreal Canadiens prospects is currently available exclusively on Patreon. The full episode will be released soon on all TSLH Podcast platforms.

Florian Xhekaj: Prospect of the Week

Florian Xhekaj’s strong performances continue with the Rocket, finishing the week with 3 points. In a fairly intense game against the Toronto Marlies, Xhekaj scored a goal and recorded an assist. His shorthanded goal literally broke the Marlies’ legs at that point in the game. It was a goal praised by his coach Pascal Vincent after the game, who highlighted the hockey skills of his player.

It’s in these types of games that a player like Florian Xhekaj becomes important. The intensity was certainly high at the beginning of the match, and Xhekaj’s physical play certainly didn’t hurt. The forward also admitted that he feels energized by such games involving division rivals.

“I’m built for these kinds of games, and I think this is when I’m at my best!” – Florian Xhekaj speaking to the media after Wednesday’s game.

This season, Florian Xhekaj has 15 goals. Among rookies, he ranks 13th in that category. That’s more goals than some more offensively-minded prospects such as Matthew Savoie, Jagger Firkus, Rutger McGroarty, and Noah Ostlund. It’s even just one goal less than prospect Dalibor Dvorsky. In terms of points, Arber’s brother is ranked 34th among AHL rookies while sitting first for penalty minutes (130).

Ivan Demidov: Justified Sanction

This week, SKA scored a total of 3 goals in three games. The only game in which the team didn’t score was the one where Ivan Demidov was left out. Obviously, when viewed from the outside, it’s understandable to be frustrated as a Canadiens fan. However, Demidov’s week didn’t start off well, and he thus faced the wrath of his coach. In the first game of the week against Spartak, Ivan Demidov posted a -3 rating, a stat that’s not very representative, one might say.

Frankly, having watched the game, the goals scored by Spartak weren’t directly his fault. However, during sequences, Ivan Demidov was seen searching for his coverage. Twice, he lost his man to cover another player, and moments later, that same player scored. So, while it wasn’t really his fault directly, the lack of cohesion during these sequences was quite evident. Additionally, we saw him give up on his backcheck during Spartak’s 5th goal.

During the game, the Canadiens’ prospect caused a few turnovers because he wasn’t choosing the best options when entering the zone. Under the strong pressure of Spartak (one of the better teams in the league), Demidov had a tendency to get rid of the puck. Ivan Demidov possesses superb offensive skills, but there’s a bit of waste in his game, particularly in defense and when under pressure. And the coach doesn’t hesitate to punish him when that happens. He was benched towards the end of the game and then left out of the next one. One could criticize Roman Rotenberg for pulling the trigger quickly, but sometimes he applies justified sanctions on his young player. In the Spartak game, if this were an NHL match, Demidov would probably have been benched as well.

However, Demidov bounced back well in SKA’s third game of the week. With 21 minutes of ice time, Demidov assisted on his team’s only goal. More involved, he was less prone to mental lapses. Dynamo is also a good team, but Demidov handled the opposing pressure much better in that game. We can conclude that it was simply a bad game for Demidov against Spartak, as can happen.

David Reinbacher: Finding Rhythm Again

One last headline to discuss, and it’s about David Reinbacher. Pascal Vincent praised his play early this season, while some media publicly criticized him for a -2 rating. I tend to trust Pascal Vincent more, let’s say. However, in the game against the Marlies, it was clear that the intense pace was harder for the Austrian defenseman to handle. His mobility was occasionally lacking, and his explosiveness wasn’t enough to separate from the coverage. Even his usually elite decision-making was off. It was a tough game, one of those that happens from time to time throughout the season. David Reinbacher needs to find his rhythm again after being sidelined for several months.

However, in the following game, we saw a much better version of Reinbacher. The one that supports the offense at opportune moments and counters the opponent with his stick and mobility. In his skating, I feel he shows a slightly different technique compared to last year. Is it related to some discomfort caused by rust? Absolutely. It’s as though he’s skating cautiously, careful with every move. And that’s caused by a lack of rhythm and possibly some confidence issues related to his recent injury. However, in Reinbacher’s most recent game, we felt much less of that.

IN BRIEF

– Xavier Simoneau made his return to play against Belleville on Saturday. The forward had been sidelined for several weeks. He ended the game with an assist.

– Quentin Miller suffered his first loss in the BCHL. The goaltender has also signed with Denver for the NCAA next season. It’s been a rollercoaster season for him. After a major injury early in the season and a transfer from the QMJHL to the BCHL, the Montrealer has secured a “contract” with the University of Denver, one of the top programs in NCAA.

– At Dartmouth in the NCAA, Emmett Croteau seems to have taken the #1 spot in recent weeks. The Canadiens’ prospect played both games for his team this week. Roan Clarke, the goaltender who had the trust since the start of the season, has apparently fallen to the backup role.

– In 3 games this week with the Titan, Mikus Vecvanags was not used in goal for his team. The goaltender hasn’t really shone in his few games since jumping from the BCHL to the QMJHL.

– Another 3 points this week for Sean Farrell. The streak continues, and I’m preparing a small scouting report on him soon with quotes from the player himself and coach Pascal Vincent. It will notably cover the pivotal point in this streak.

– I’ve produced a full scouting report on Joshua Roy for a Patreon member, and honestly, I wasn’t very complimentary. Here’s an excerpt from this exclusive scouting report on Patreon: “Pascal Vincent spoke about David Reinbacher, saying it was completely ridiculous that some people mentioned he hadn’t played well in his early games. He stated that some people look too much at stats, but the reality is, a player can play well without getting stats, and conversely, a player can play poorly and still get stats. You could feel that Roy was the target of this comment. Vincent’s remarks followed the game against the Marlies, where Roy scored the Rocket’s 5th and winning goal. But he was invisible on the ice. It was an intense game, and he was coasting. The projection remains top 9, but I have serious doubts about his ability to make an impact in the NHL long-term.”

– It was good to see Cayden Primeau dominate in his return with the Rocket, but it seems to be getting more difficult for him in recent games. His statistical performance couldn’t be maintained, but he seems a bit more nervous in his net. Against the Marlies, it was hard for him to find his bearings. Let’s chalk it up to an 11 a.m. game!

Statistics collected from February 24, 2025, to March 2nd, 2025 inclusive.

GOALIES