The Montreal Canadiens have signed restricted free agent defenceman Arber Xhekaj to a two-year, US$2.6-million contract, the club announced Tuesday. Xhekaj checks Boston Bruins' Danton Heinen on Nov. 11, 2023.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
The Montreal Canadiens took care of some business Tuesday.
Hours after Arber Xhekaj agreed to a new contract, the club announced it had also signed fellow restricted free agent defenceman Morgan Barron.
Both players get two-year deals – US$2.6 million over the life of the pact for Xhekaj, while Barron will earn US$2.3 million.
The bruising Xhekaj played 44 games with Montreal last season, recording three goals and 10 points. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Hamilton native led the team with 81 penalty minutes and topped all Canadiens defencemen with 125 hits.
Xhekaj has eight goals, 23 points and 182 penalty minutes in 95 career NHL games. The 23-year-old also skated in 17 contests with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket in 2023-24, putting up three goals and 11 points.
Barron played 48 games with the Canadiens last season, registering seven goals and 13 points. The right-shot defender added 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 32 AHL appearances.
Since making his professional debut in 2020-21, the 22-year-old Halifax native has recorded 12 goals and 30 points in 94 NHL contests with Montreal and the Colorado Avalanche.
Barron, who was acquired in the Artturi Lehkonen trade with Colorado in 2022, was selected by the Avalanche with the 25th pick at the 2020 draft.
Xhekaj originally joined the Canadiens as an undrafted free agent in October 2021.