Montreal Canadiens sign Arber Xhekaj to a two-year extension

The hard-hitting defenceman will earn an average annual salary of $1.3 million.

Arber Xhekaj and the Montreal Canadiens have agreed on a two-year contract extension, the team announced on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old defenseman, who was a restricted free agent, will earn an average of $1.3 million over each of the next two seasons.

He played 44 games with the Canadiens last season, tallying three goals and seven assists — as well as 81 penalty minutes. He also played 17 games with the Laval Rocket after being sent down in December.

The 23-year-old was called back up by the Canadiens in late January, but for the second year in a row shoulder surgery cut his season short. He is expected to be back in time for the 2024-25 season.

Xhekaj’s younger brother, Florian, was drafted by the Canadiens in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

The 19-year-old told The Gazette in April that playing with his brother “has been a dream and, hopefully, we can do that one day.”