Arber Xhekaj reveals he almost became a Toronto Maple Leaf

After going undrafted, he was working at Cosco when he finally got his break, signing as an undrafted free agent during NHL free agency.

Since then, he's become a fan-favorite in Habs land for his tenacity and entertainment. But, we learned that Xhekaj and almost ended up in Toronto instead.

On a recent episode of the Spittin Chiclets Podcast, hosts Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette chatted with Xhekaj revealed that during his time as an undrafted free agent, the Leafs offered him a contract.

However, instead of jumping at the first opportunity, Xhekaj waited for other offers and ultimately chose his childhood Canadiens.

Xhekaj has spent much of his time refining his play. In the NHL, he's rackedup 10 points and 81 penalty minutes in 44 games. In the AHL with the Laval Rocket, the Habs minor league affiliate, he showed flashes of his offensive potential, scoring 11 points in 17 games with 34 penalty minutes.

If the coaching staff can help the 21 year-old transfer that offensive spark to the league in a full time role while maintaining his physical edge, he could prove to be a steal as an undrafted player. Being division rivals, he would haunt Maple Leafs fans in their sleep who will always wonder, "What if Xhekaj chose blue and white over Habs red?"

Source: Hockey Patrol
Arber Xhekaj: The Montreal Canadiens defenseman who almost became a Toronto Maple Leaf