Free the Sheriff

Arber Xhekaj, affectionately known as "the Sheriff" ("Wifi" to his teammates) is quite the presence on the ice. Fans love him like a Belle et Boeuf loaded burger, but the media? Well, they haven't appeared to be as smitten.

Some folks see him as a solid bottom-pair defenseman with more upside, ready to gobble up minutes and perhaps serve some time on the penalty kill. Others? They think he's more of a spare winter tire, only useful when he's dropping the gloves. One media member even called him a "nuclear deterrent," which is a fancy way of saying, "We like him when he's keeping opponents clean and honest" (albeit, this past season, Arber did lose his fair share of fights).

But really, what matters is how the coaching staff sees him. And, spoiler alert, it seems Marty St-Lou isn't exactly sending him love letters. His leash is shorter than a puppet on a tight string. Bad penalty? He might as well grab a seat and get comfy, because he's not seeing the ice for a while. Turnover? Pinching too high? Hope he likes the view from the press box, because Marty will quickly send him there.

To be fair, Arber's got some NHL-level skills. He's got solid (straight-line) skating, a shot that could knock some heads off, and he can make a decent breakout pass. But his judgment is, at times, well, let's say, a bit like a GPS with a bad signal. Opposing forwards can shake him off too easily (spin off of him), and he occasionally loses his balance like he's been skating on banana peels. Which makes one wonder: was he was brought up to the big leagues a bit too soon, like a soufflé taken out of the oven before it's ready (truth be told, one can never spend too much time in the minors, unless of course you are a baked Alaska).

But hey, lots of bottom-pair defensemen have their quirks. But few have to deal with a coach who examines every mistake with a microscope. Maybe if he got a little more confidence from his coach, we'd have seen this local Sheriff blossom like a spring daisy. Confidence is everything, and, to boot, Arber's got to play the tough shepherd on a team full of players who are often too sheepish in nature. It's clear the big guy hasn't felt the warm fuzzies. He played most of the Tampa series on his opposite side and did pretty well, considering. But in the Sabres series, despite being dressed for every game, it seems he was there more as a bench-warmer.

Then came the Carolina series, and St-Lou decided to bench Wifi for the whole shebang. No explanation, just an ice cold shoulder (which is odd given Struble didn't exactly shine, also leaving poor Lane to switch sides to accomodate him).

It's the kind of thing that makes you go "hmm..." And now, as August rolls on, Arber still hasn't signed a contract. Is a sign-and-trade deal on the horizon? If the rumor mill is anything to go by, it might just be. In fairness, Arber deserves a fresh start somewhere else, so Kent, show some class, and just free Arber.

Losing a big, physical defenseman, who is also adored by teammates, on a small, frail team to boot, shouldn't even be something that is on the table, but as of late August, it sure looks like the Sheriff might be riding off into the sunset, and moving to a different county.