Acquisition of Jayden Struble: The Preds’ GM Weighs In

Mathis Therrien
Acquisition of Jayden Struble: The Preds’ GM Weighs In
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The Montreal Canadiens surprised everyone yesterday by making a move, as Kent Hughes completed a trade sending defenseman Jayden Struble to the Nashville Predators.

Hughes addressed the congestion on the blue line, as the Habs had too many defensemen capable of playing in the NHL, and Struble simply wasn't a good pairing with Arber Xhekaj.

One of the two left-handed depth defensemen had to go, and it was Struble who was let go, with the Habs receiving a second-round pick in return for his services.

This is a very good return for Kent Hughes, considering that Struble was the team's sixth—or even seventh—defenseman.

As for the Preds, here's what the team's general manager, Chris MacFarland, had to say about the trade.

It's clear that the Preds' GM is happy and proud of this acquisition, and that he still sees great potential in Struble, who is only 25 years old.

The American defenseman is seen as a solid, rugged, and physical defenseman who moves well on the ice and is tough to play against.

MacFarland believes Struble will develop with the Preds, which is highly likely, given that he'll have a better chance to prove himself than he did in Montreal, where he was occasionally benched in a rotation that was starting to get crowded.

Struble will therefore not only benefit from a higher salary due to tax advantages but also from a larger role.

Kent Hughes has made his decision and let go of a defenseman drafted during the Marc Bergevin era to make room for Kaiden Guhle's return and/or David Reinbacher's recall (for good).

It will be very interesting to see how things unfold on the blue line for the Habs, starting tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.


In Brief

– Must-read.

– Coming up.

– A big game against Toronto this afternoon.

– Phew.

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