All the experts agree that the surprise of the year in terms of NHL rookies is defenceman Arber Xhekaj.
The young defense's contract, worth $828,333 a year, will expire in the summer of 2024, so Kent Hughes will have to think about offering him a contract extension.
The longer Hughes waits before signing him, the more the price is likely to rise, but as a former player agent, he certainly knows the game.
The reporter for Montreal Hockey Now, believes Hughes absolutely must extend his contract.
"(We need to) extend Xhekaj's contract, in my opinion." - Marc Dumont
What would be the comparable? Alexander Romanov's three-year contract for $2.5M annually? Brayden McNabb's at $2.5M for four years? It would have to be in those waters.