Hockey Trade Rumours: Surprising Team Becomes Latest Trade Option for Arber Xhekaj and Canadiens

The Utah Hockey Club is a bit in a bind after long-term injuries to key defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino. While the team is still trying to remain competitive during the first season, Utah GM Bill Armstrong has been looking at potential trade options to shore up the blue line. One of the first players that the team had inquired about was Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov. A Provorov deal is, however, far from certain with Columbus seemingly reluctant to move the experienced defenseman on at this juncture of the season.

Provorov, due to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, would represent an attractive rental option for Utah. That $6.75-million cap hit may be digestible to the club, and he comes with a load of experience as a top-four defenseman who has been very reliable in all situations. As good a fit as he may present, though, Columbus may not want to give up on Provorov now, particularly with his very consistent play thus far into the year. He has two points in six games and remains one of the more important defensemen for the Blue Jackets. Therefore, their pursuit of Provorov has stalled.

As Utah tries to find its way through the injury issues earlier in the season, they have decided to look within for the time being. The club called up 2022 first-round pick Maveric Lamoureux in an attempt to fill some of the gaps on defense. That suggests Armstrong is in no hurry to rush into a trade, although he continues to probe for outside additions. The Utah roster is trying to survive the storm of injuries before major decisions are made: they are a solid 4-2-1 to start. The thinking is just to buy time and look inward before committing fully to a trade.

With Columbus being skittish about moving Provorov, that may no longer be an option. Another name that's been thrown into the mix in recent times as a potential trade addition is that of Montreal Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj. Physically dense and capable of playing reliable defense, Xhekaj would bring some grit and stability to Utah's blue line, especially as they look to reinforce their D. The Canadiens are trying to develop their youth, so they might be a little more open to moving Xhekaj if the return fits what they want moving forward. Xhekaj has also been in trade rumors lately as he has been a healthy scratch for several games. The less Provorov is an option, the more Xhekaj comes up as Utah's primary target moving forward.

Utah's near future will be to see how they get out of this tough time of year. While Columbus doesn't seem very eager to let go of Ivan Provorov, Montreal could be a more open trade partner, and Arber Xhekaj could be an option that's within reach. For now, with internal reinforcements already set, everything else will depend on the performance of the team in the weeks to come. Whether injuries pile up, or Maveric Lamoureux can't adequately fill up the gap, Armstrong could find himself forced into making a big trade.