Montreal Canadiens Role Profiles: Jayden Struble

As we get into the dog days of summer and until training camp, thesickpodcast.com will profile Montreal Canadiens players based on their expected role for the 2026-27 NHL season.

There will be a tough internal battle for the sixth defenseman spot at Montreal Canadiens training camp in September and defenseman Jayden Struble could have the inside track heading into the 2026-27 campaign. Will he be able to keep his role as the sixth defenseman, or will someone take it away from him?

After playing the majority of the playoff games over defenseman Arber Xhekaj, it’s safe to say that the Canadiens current coaching staff prefers to go with Struble over the more physical Xhekaj. Now, that is not to say Struble isn’t physical, quite the contrary actually as he can be hard to deal with in a fight, but the reality is Xhekaj is the most physically imposing player on the current Montreal Canadiens. It’s just that Struble’s defensive game is much less reliant on his physical game and is arguably a better all-around defender than Xhekaj. 

https://x.com/i/status/1989851008516984856

Nonetheless, it will be important that Struble brings his A-game to training camp if he wants to be in the lineup on opening night when the puck drops on the Canadiens season on September 29th against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not only will he be competing with Xhekaj for that sixth defenseman spot, but both Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher are now in the conversation for an NHL spot to start the season. Therefore, in order to keep his role, Struble may need to show that he can be the best of the four defensemen to start the season in the NHL lineup.

Of course, the fact that Reinbacher and Engstrom can both be sent to the Laval Rocket of the AHL without needing waivers. Meanwhile, any team can claim Xhekaj or Struble if they don’t make the Montreal Canadiens roster. With that being said, it is highly unlikely that either of the young veteran blueliners don’t make the team, but a horrible camp could force it to happen.

If the entire defensive core is healthy, chances are Struble will yet again split games with Xhekaj for the 2026-27 season. The player that gets into the lineup will depend mainly on what is needed most that night. In games against teams like the Carolina Hurricanes who are fast and less physical, it is more likely that Struble will get in the lineup. Whereas, he may sit for Xhekaj against a team like the Boston Bruins, who play a more physical style. 

Of course, injuries will happen, and that’s part of the beauty of having someone like Struble. While Struble is far the best partner for a star like Lane Hutson, he has developed enough chemistry with the Montreal Canadiens’ top defenseman that he can easily fill in temporarily at 5-on-5 alongside Hutson. 

Head coach Martin St. Louis and his staff have gotten heat from fans and the media for putting Struble with Hutson at times, but the truth is the depth defenseman who can play a solid stay-at-home role when needed works well alongside an explosive offensive defenseman. As a result, don’t be surprised that if injuries start piling up, a Struble-Hutson pairing comes back on a temporary basis. 

The only thing is the Montreal Canadiens can’t have Struble as Hutson’s regular partner since he doesn’t have the ability to play big minutes nor the overall game of a top four defenseman on the team. However, when they play together for two or three games, they tend to do very well as Struble does a lot of little things that allow Hutson to make dominant plays. 

https://x.com/i/status/2034071011134521556 

Putting Struble on a pairing with Hutson, where he plays his best hockey, can also be a good way to showcase the player for a possible trade. There is no secret that the Montreal Canadiens have nine defensemen that can play in the NHL regularly, leading to a crowded blueline. It is very possible that Struble could be sacrificed in a trade at some point of the season to make room for Reinbacher or Engstrom to play full-time in the NHL. By playing Struble with Hutson for a few games, it should only up his trade value a bit to get a team to bite on him. 

In fact, it is quite possible that Struble could be traded during training camp, if the Canadiens feel that it is time Reinbacher or Engstrom play in the NHL at the start of the season. Even though his defence may arguably be more solid than Xhekaj’s, the truth is the latter’s reputation as one of the league’s toughest defencemen is an intangible that is hard to find. Therefore, it makes it easier for the Canadiens to move Struble over Xhekaj. 

Struble is a solid depth defenseman that thrives best when playing with a player that is the complete opposite of him. However, he doesn’t bring enough to be an everyday player for the Montreal Canadiens. It will be interesting to see if he stays in Montreal serving as a depth piece or if he is shipped out to a team that needs the defensive depth that he brings.

Read about Alexandre Carrier‘s expectations in our Role Profile from yesterday.