A lot of ink bottles have been emptied this season when discussing the Montreal Canadiens’ defence. Lane Hutson is an obvious talking point. Arber Xhekaj as well, albeit not always for the right reasons. However, there is a regular roster member that has flown under the radar, at least so far in 2024-25: Jayden Struble. His role on the blue line is more prominent, and his efficiency is greater than what some might think, given that he’s not talked about much. So let’s discuss.
From Rhode Island to Massachusetts
Born in 2001, Struble is a Rhode Island native, more specifically the town of Cumberland. His love for hockey started early, as he was already hitting the ice in high school. As a matter of fact, much of his development as a player did not take place in his native state, but rather in Massachusetts.
His high school days were spent at St. Sebastien’s School in Needham, MA. As a defender, he tallied 30 points in 30 contests in 2017-18 and followed that up with 40 points in 28 games the following season. There was evidently a lot of talent to nurture. After that, he carved a name for himself with the Northeastern Huskies in the NCAA, Northeastern University being a Boston-based school.
His journey through the NCAA caught the eyes of NHL scouts and, in 2019, he was drafted 46th overall by the Canadiens. Sophomore-round draftees don’t receive the glitz and the glamour showered onto their first-round brethren. The Canadiens, guided by then-general manager (GM) Marc Bergevin, saw enough in Struble to prioritize him relatively early in the draft selection process. One could argue that Struble is another feather in Bergevin’s cap.
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The transition to the pros didn’t happen immediately. To that point, Struble remained in the NCAA for a few extra seasons and only received a two-year, entry-level deal from the Habs in 2023. Montreal’s patience before committing to having Struble in the organizational pipeline was warranted. As it turns out, statistically, the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the Huskies were some of the blueliner’s best. After a pair of NCAA campaigns with ratings of minus-2 (2019-20, 2020-21), he greatly improved with a plus-15 and a plus-8.
Mercifully Brief AHL Career
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Given the collapse of the Canadiens’ post-2021 Stanley Cup Final run, the club needed all the help it…
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