This Habs Defenseman Will Be TRADED! | The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro May 22 2025

MSL needs a good D coach to bring these young guys along, there is so much potential there!

This might sound absurd but I would consider trading Lane Hutson. He's my favourite Hab's player but he will always be a liability in the playoffs. His worth on the trade market could fill some holes on the Canadian's line up...

Bring in exblad

Finally some love for Logan Mailloux. I been screaming at all the times I heard him in trade talk..... Moving Mailloux would be like when Habs moved on from Chelios....I think many still view Logan from when he was 17 yr old kid and I will leave it there,.., In the modern game a right shot defenseman is so much more valuable to have. All 32 teams struggle to fill the 3 right shot positions and here Montreal very well could have 2 of the best up and coming RH defense prospects in the game.Mailloux and Reinbacher will play huge roles for our Habs championship dreams in the near future.....Lets stop talking trading positions that are so difficult to replace

Keep Arber to play with Florian and ditch the teenage girlie intro. Its sickening

I just don’t see the value of keeping Strubble next year. I don’t see him ever developing into a top 4 role, he doesn’t seem to want to use his tuffnes to intimidate - it’s just not in his DNA. We have Engstrom in Laval which is having a very solid year. I see Reinbacher and Engstrom play one more year together in Laval before become a duo in MTL. Mailloux deserves his shot to start on MTL in October. Also Arber and Logan played really well as a Duo in Laval and what a scary Dline in the play offs in a few years.

How can you not continue to develop Arber when Florian is going to also make his way into the line up. Habs need bigger and harder to play type guys, that’s two already in the organization.

Ghule / Dobson
Matheson / Hudson
Xjekai / Carrier
Mailloux

Time for Tony to go on Vacation until the Draft and Free Agency right after, all this speculation is just that. Hughes and Gorton will do what they do and Podcasters desperate for clicks will continue this nonsense.

So lets see now, a team ALREADY lacking in size and toughness, a team that both Hughes and Gorton said at their end of season press conference needs more size and compete, is going to trade the player that has that more than pretty much any other player on the team? Geeze..Whatever happened to patience with young players (especially Dmen) ? Who is the "deterent" on this team outside of Xhekaj? Anderson, a guy who is in his 30s now? Unless hes part of a package to get a STAR 2nd line center in his early to mid 20s, it would be a HUGE mistake trading Arber Xhekaj...

Arber will be the top 4-5 defenceman in any other nhl team if you dont have a stubborn coach as Marty. I know the game has changed, but playoff hockey is still very much the same. You cannot put a leash on a player and change his playing style. You can see a mile away, how his game is totally changed by a coach and not playing him is the worst thing a sissy coach can do. How much leeway did he give Matheson? This coach has no idea how tough a defence you need to win. Arber has the hardest shot out of all his defencemen. Remember Scotty Bowman, putting all 5 defenceman for starting lineup with Philly in the 70's. That's how you give notice to the opponents. At the start of playoff with Washington this year, their whole team announced that they will go after your smaller players. What was this coach's response? If Arber did anything what Anderson did, coach would have taken him out of line up for Good. Bring a new coach in Montreal and Arber will be become his go to defenseman in 15 games.
My idea, bring in Malloux this year with a complete 3 players from Laval. Let them gel with existing young players and then watch out for candiens in two years time. Trading for 2nd center is not going to win you a cup. Bring in Owen, Florian, Luke, Maillloux and Oliver and the coach from Laval. Then watchout for this team in 2 -3 years time. Trade Matheson, it might hurt for 10-15 games after that the team will be tough, skilled and strong for a 5-6 years. But we all know, it won't happen. For this team to change its character, playing style, the coach has to go!!

Bill zito needs to call Kent Hughes. Imagine arbor on the panthers.

tony reading #'s sounds like charlie brown parents

Got it, so every other team wants Xhekaj, but not Montreal. Who’s the problem then?

Probably the team that signs a player for what he does well, then tell him not to do those things. What did you think would happen. What a joke how he has been managed. MSL should be a skills coach only. Arber will leave and come back to haunt us. Probably kill Caufield. And you know what? If they lose him I’d be happy to see it. I’d rather watch tough rugged hockey and lose than watch ballerina garbage the leafs produce. Habs will be the leafs soon going this way. What a joke.

First time I watched Xhekaj play I thought, this guy is a Bruin.

Marty St. Louis continues to ignore Xhekaj’s 100+ mile per hour slapshot

Keep Xhekaj, trade Matheson. Arber is young and will improve... Give him time. Matheson won't be here when the team is a contender and has way more value in a trade.

Xhekaj and Struble don’t spend as much time on the ice as the guys who’re blocking twice as many shots. If I play nine minutes a game, I’m probably not gonna block as many shots as a guy playing 23 minutes a game.

Xhekaj and Struble don’t spend as much time on the ice as the guys who’re blocking twice as many shots. If I play nine minutes a game, I’m probably not gonna block as many shots as a guy playing 23 minutes a game.

Imagine if MSL worked as hard at having Xhekaj succeed as he does his pets, Instead of doing the opposite?

If they get rid of Xhekaj in favour of having Struble as our sixth D this team will have big problems against tough physical teams. Maybe if Marty worked with Xhekaj and gave him more then 12m a night or some pk time he could get rhythm going. We have a super small D already last thing we need is another mediocre 6ft defender like struble who layed 2 hits in the playoffs unreal decisions by Marty.

Why wouldn't Suzuki be here in a few years??

All the players say it. They love it when wifi is in the lineup. It makes them play bigger. The team just can't get smaller than they already are. Unless you are trading him for Mathew Olivier, I would not let him go.

Trade Matheson

MSL wants a skilled team like the leafs....how's that working? 🤣
I want skill and toughness...like Florida. Xhekaj needs to be a bigger part of Montreals team. He needs 18-20 minutes per game

Yes but how can someone like Arber olay better when he has savard as a linemate wanna compare apples to apples then do so !

The love you have for struble and the hate for jackeye is the reason I stopped watching this podcast ! Once I thought you were the best but you are no where near that now your biased pussified view is delusional struble is less then half the defensemen arber is he don’t hit he don’t block and he’s barely offensive .
His numbers look better because he played with Hutson arber played with a pylon in skates who was quadriplegic. The comparison is not even close to fair and arber is constantly yours and St. Louis whipping boy. Fact is we’re lucky to have him bullshit

Matheson is a UFA next year. The choice is clear, move Matheson and let Xhekaj develop. He's got the strongest shot would be great on the PP if they develop him that way. He's young and defensemen take longer to develop, plus he's the typical D you need for the playoffs. If the Habs trade him, they will learn to regret it.

Bullshit podcast fake fans

Remember when Gorton was fired for building a soft team. Its happening again.

if they want a soft sissy team, then sure trade arbor and become the leafs 2.0 🙄

Matheson and some picks for Dobson, then you have Hutson, Dobson first pair, Guhle, Carrier, 2 pair, and Arbor, Mailloux or Reinbacher 3rd pair.

Trade Struble

Still pushing to trade Arber, annoying

It's time to trade Xhekaj. Sadly he doesn't fit with our game. He's my second favourite Hab but for his own development he should get out. At no time does Maurice ever moan about penalty minutes from his players, can you see MSL swallowing what Marchand did last night? You really think he's going to do anything but reign in Florian? The best Arber Xhekaj was season one. I'd take that version back in a heart beat. As for goals from D wasn't it only last year we were near the top for goals from defence?

wow fantasy trading. are you guys for real? If Arber is traded Habs will be in body bags. Say good bye to Hutson. Matheson should be traded. Tony your from Mtl remember Pierre Bouchard? Lupien? Odelein? you just blasted Toronto concerning the shanahan plan and artistic playing and you turn round and say this? As i can see again the media frenzy feeds the fans. what a ridiculous idea. let me show you how easy this is because your so confusing. ARBER PLAYS WITH HUTSON! GUELE WITH MAILLOUX! Carrier with struble! if no trades are made. if arber is traded hutson on the back end will be destroyed. look at what happened to carrier. knocked out. you of all people saying they are small. who will be the tough guy on defence? matheson should be traded because he is over rated and actually a liability on defence. I do not believe you have a handle on things.

RHD MAILLOUX, REDEIBACHER, CARRIER, LHD GUELE, HUTSON , XHEKAJ, possiblity of the swedish defenceman in LAVAL making the team. this should be habs defence in 2027! pretty simple.

this is why fans look at you, this why is podcasters are what they are, and none of us are GM's. what a bloody fantasy! this is depanneur playing mise au jeu talk. you and Lajoie are really really hilarious.

Struble played with Hutson, Arbour did not. Any offensive stat is due to Lane

Thank god you two aren’t running this team. Trading Arbor would be a huge blunder. He’ll go to another team and actually get minutes and a decent partner to play with and he’ll flourish. Meanwhile the habs will get beat down every game. Every team we play will take runs at Caufield, Suzuki, Demidov, Hutson etc. It’s an already small, non-physical team and you guys are so horny to trade any grit we do have.

I would trade Struble over Xhekaj 100%
Very similar profile of player but Xhekaj is more of a unicorn & can change the game if he cleans up some of his sloppiness

There’s only one d man playing the power play doesn’t help goal production

Maybe they should work Xhejai into a hybrid player dman/forward. Think of him on the pp in front of the net, or on a 4th or 3rd line (maybe opposite his brother). He can become a good dman bottom 4 there is something there, but as is he needs polish lots of it

Arber has to pick up the speed, he's like a sloth out there a lot of the time IMO, his start is glacier like. he can do it but he's got to want to do it..... I want him on the team

The podcast is becoming drivel. You don’t like Arber? Arber made the NHL despite COVID, despite minimal games back then. He never got drafted yet he ended up in the Memorial Cup final and had a positive impact on his team. He went down to Laval and became a leader. He played well and the team turned around. Arber is not going to succeed in Montreal due to Marty St Louis and opinionated arm chair experts like you. If the Habs trade Xhekaj, he will become a great defenseman elsewhere. The only thing is Kent and Jeff will make it work. To survive playoffs you need size. Canes, Florida average hat 6’3”” The Bruins are bigger. We need size and toughness to complement and protect our stars. Maybe you should start a podcast on bingo, or checkers and bring all the stats you want on that.

Arber is the future so is Hutson and Mailloux Ghule the reat can go

I have been saying it for a long time now. Xerkaj needs to develop an old school defensive mindset. I totally see him as the type of player who can become a perennial SHOT BLOCKER. He had Savard playing with him some some time. I don't understand why they can't develop him into that mold of Chris Tanev with Dustin Bufflin Bad Ass!

I was lucky enough to meet Tony at the Laval Rocket game tonight . He is a real gentleman . Keep up the great work !

What more do you expect from Hutson...the guy is great...opposition teams will be better prepared too defend against him...I predict a season similar to last year...take Matheson off that defensive group and over the course of a full season the defense will be much weaker...this is not the time to trade him...he has some issues defensevly but overall a very good hockey player...Xkehaj...disagree...he has improved immensely...his brother Florian will be a winger on the Canadiens next season...they will be a team that gets some respect...with regards to your annalitics...ok...but the game is played on the ice and team character and chemistry are an integral part of growth...I say keep Xhehaj...Struble and Xhebhaj can rotate...in a package trade...everything is on the table...every year will be different...look at Toronto , Boston Ect...the opposition changes...the Habs could be worse next year or the best...the league other than a few teams that have elite talent are all about the same...

We just lost a playoff series saying we need to get bigger and tougher and meaner and here we are talking about trading our biggest, toughest, meanest player...🙃

All this is bull#%! Arber did play with Savard all year and any player that would of played as much as he did would have poor advanced stats. The fact that strubble played with the best puck mover and also play driver that we have. That just helps a whole lot!

Arber helps the team a lot more than strubble and Mailloux even though he has warts in his game. We just spend to much time talking about his game. We had Ben chariot, Joel Edmonston in our top four and went to the finals. Can’t believe we here some much about 5-6 defensemen