As we continue our in-depth profile series of the top Montreal Canadiens prospects, as voted by Habs fans, we've reached one of the organization's most interesting young players: Laval Rocket forward Florian Zekaj.
Note: To qualify for the project, potential candidates must be 23 years of age or younger and currently playing outside the NHL. In other words, even though Canadian players like Len Hutson, Juraj Slafkowski and Ivan Demidov are young enough to qualify, they have already established themselves as NHL players and are no longer considered prospects.
Previously published Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings
Canadian prospects who just missed the cut
Canadiens prospects ranked 20-16
Canadiens prospects ranked 15-11
No. 10 - Towering Hayden Poupanekis
florian zekaj
9. LW/Center, Shoots Left, 21, Laval Rocket (NCAA), 6’4″, 205 lbs. Selected 101st overall in 2023.
When the Montreal Canadiens selected Florian Czekaj early in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, many eyebrows were raised.
Statistically speaking, a player who has scored only 25 points in 68 OHL games is not eligible for a draft pick, nor is he expected to ever make his way to the NHL.
But as we found out in Montreal, Zekaj doesn't live up to expectations.
For example, Florian's brother Arbor was the only defenseman in modern NHL history to make the jump directly from the OHL to the NHL after being passed over in the draft.
It was a sign of things to come, as Florian not only defied expectations, he defied expectations after his first season of professional hockey.
Szekaj managed to score 24 goals and 11 assists in 69 games as a rookie, while spending most of his time on the Laval Rocket's fourth line. It wasn't just an impressive feat, it set a franchise record for goals by a rookie skater.
Of course, we have to be realistic about his increased shooting percentage, which stood at 25% all year, but the fact is that Czekaj not only proved the doubters wrong, but he quickly moved himself up the Montreal Canadiens' prospect list due to his unique combination of skill and toughness.
Goals have become a little harder to come by in his sophomore season, as his shooting percentage has returned somewhat to normal, up to 12.5%. Czekaj also spent some time in Montreal after a call-up by the Canadiens, adding another hurdle when it comes to maintaining a certain level of consistency.
Czekaj only played five games with the Habs during that call up, limiting his opportunities to make an impact, but it's fair to say he didn't look out of place in the NHL, especially when we consider he still has two full years of professional hockey left to complete.
Florian Czekaj gets a hit on his first shift, records an assist in his first NHL game, and ends it with a one-sided battle with a side dish of excellent underlying numbers.
Good start, I'd say. https://t.co/mFQt2CJ8Dv
- Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) 23 November 2025
Strength
While players who don't hesitate to get into a scuffle are usually labeled as hooligans or one-trick ponies, that's certainly not the case with Zekaj.
Just ask reigning AHL Coach of the Year, Pascal Vincent.
He uses Zekaj when the Rockets need a goal, when they want to protect a late-game lead, on the power play, on the penalty kill, and every other possible situation that occurs in a hockey game.
He's actually the Canadian-Albanian-Kosovan-Czech army knife of the team. And whenever an opposing player takes advantage of one of Zekaj's teammates, the knife turns into a hammer.
He will score most of his goals by gaining precious ice in the offensive zone, taking advantage of rebounds or putting himself in good position to deflect point shots, although he has scored a few times by beating goaltenders with clean shots.
Once again, versatility is clearly one of his greatest strengths.
weaknesses
Zekaj is an old-school player in a new-school sports landscape, with a variety of penalties to contend with. In fact, he led the AHL in penalty minutes during his rookie season, with 175 PIM to his name. This is par for the course when discussing a rough-and-tumble player, and Czekaj would not be as effective if he played a more restrained brand of hockey, but there is always a learning process when it comes to adapting to umpiring in different leagues.
There may be a certain lack of discipline in the AHL, but it is one of the least desirable traits in the NHL. Zekaj will have to choose his positions a little more carefully going forward.
There is some work to do when it comes to his skating mechanics, although I would argue he is not a bad skater. Rather, his first few steps are awkward, giving the impression that he is not moving very fast.
To avoid relying on increased shooting percentage, Zekaj could also stand to improve his overall shot rate. On that note, he is taking 1.7 shots per game this year, which is a significant increase compared to the 1.3 shots per game during his rookie season.
What to expect from Zekaj moving forward
After reading his profile, you may be wondering why Szekaj is not currently playing in the NHL.
It's true that he has performed much better than anyone expected, however, so we should avoid including Czekaj in the Canadiens' lineup. He has done everything the team has asked of him, and more, but there is something to be said about allowing players to develop with some consistency in their usage.
The AHL is an ideal developmental league for a player like Czekaj, at least for the time being, even if he is already well ahead of the normal curve in terms of his NHL aspirations.
His playing style, impressive work ethic and all-around skill set should eventually earn him a long-term role in the NHL, possibly on the fourth line, though we're not at that level yet.
All Montreal Canadiens prospect stats via Elite Prospects.
