The Montreal Canadiens’ head coach, Martin St-Louis, was asked about his young defenseman, Arber Xhekaj, in recent hours.

Just days after heavily criticizing Xhekaj in a very public manner, St-Louis’ tone had changed completely today.

Martin St-Louis expressed that he’s very pleased with Xhekaj’s progress, as he’s following his coaches’ instructions and is open to adjusting his approach.

Martin St-Louis shares his opinion on Arber Xhekaj

Here’s an excerpt from his comments.

«I was a young player who spent time in the stands and on a fourth line. Obviously, I didn’t have the same confidence as when I was a top-six player. You have to find your identity. There’s pressure to play well and execute properly to keep your spot.»

«All teams use seven defensemen,» St-Louis also added, noting that Xhekaj sometimes has to skip his turn simply due to internal competition.

Additionally, let’s remember that the Sheriff will be suited up tonight against the Calgary Flames, while Justin Barron will remain in the stands for the second game in a row.

Xhekaj, who is 23 years old, is a 6-foot-4 left-shot defenseman. This season, he has 0 points in 9 games, with 12 penalty minutes and a -5 rating.

However, his impact on the ice and with his teammates can’t be measured by stats alone, even though it’s very significant.

What’s your prediction for tonight’s game? Do you think Martin St-Louis made the right decision by immediately putting Xhekaj back into action?

Personally, we love the decision!

You can find the full press conference here:

In case you missed it, earlier today, Arber Xhekaj opened up publicly about his relationship with his coach Martin St-Louis: