Arber Hekage is only 23 years old… Why isn't he treated like that?

The recent St. Louis presser was very uncomfortable. No matter how you slice it, Hekaid seems unimpressed with the Canadiens bench boss. He tried to say something nice about Hamilton, ON.

Canadiens reporter Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette published an article Thursday morning. Titled Arber Hekai, still a work in progress, the article chronicles Marty's work with Hekai. It could be misconstrued as a rift between head coach and player, but it's more than just that.

Of course, Hekay was an extremely rare case of a player directly cracking the NHL roster in the season after he was overage for youth hockey. He then played with the Canadiens for a year with no problems. The second year, however, was more difficult given Marty's hopes.

St.Louis emphasized the importance of increasing consistency in his game and said he wants Hekaid to increase his floor. There's no reason to sugarcoat or mince words that St.Louis didn't make. A transparent approach should not give up when feedback is less than ideal, and Marty knows this well.

Most importantly, St. Louis has a lot of faith in Hekaid, and that's why they have high expectations for the player. I would be concerned if St. Louis' lack of consistency from Jackage wasn't openly discussed. This is the NHL, the best league in the world, and you have to work every day to keep your job.

Fortunately, Xhekaj has all the tools and is no stranger to challenges. He followed a similar path to the NHL as St. Louis; as an undrafted free agent. The job is still unfinished and I think the player will be a better player because of the coach's tactics.