Montreal Canadiens: Prospect Jayden Struble Impressive Season Over Due to Injury

The Montreal Canadiens have done well drafting in the past two years, especially when it comes to filling organizational needs. Jayden Struble, a left defenseman had his season cut short due to injury.

The Montreal Canadiens have been decimated by injuries this season and their troubles with the injury bug have trickled down to all levels of the organization. As Shea Weber and Paul Byron remain on the sidelines for the big club, news came down last night that prospect Jayden Struble will be out for the remainder of the season.

Struble was taken in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft and quickly impressed at the team’s development camp due to his physical stature and strength in the combine and fitness testing events. He is listed at 6 feet tall and just over 200 pounds, but is even stronger than his size would suggest.

Struble has done a lot more than impress in the weight room since the Canadiens made him the 46th pick in last year’s draft. The Cumberland, Rhode Island native ramped up his studies so he could graduate early and enrolled at Northeastern University this season. He turned 18 in September, shortly after he began his college career.

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He began the season a bit slow on the ice but has earned a much bigger role on the Northeastern Huskies blue line as the year has progressed. He didn’t have any points in his first eight games of the season and missed a few early on with injury. Since then, he scored three goals and ten points in 13 games. Not bad for a freshman defender in Hockey East which is a tough NCAA conference.

Struble was injured on Friday night as the Huskies were taking on Maine. He suffered a lower body injury but the team has not given any updates on the actual injury, other than the fact it will force Struble’s freshman season to be finished early.

It is unfortunate timing, not that there is a great time to be injured, but the Huskies faced Boston University in the Beanpot final last night. The Beanpot is an annual showdown between four Boston area teams including Boston University, Boston College, Harvard and Northeastern. The Huskies had won the last two, with Canadiens prospect Cayden Primeau starring in goal for them both years.

Northeastern is in a battle for positioning in a tight Hockey East conference but they have a good chance of making noise in the playoffs. They will have to lean heavily on fellow Canadiens draft pick Jordan Harris who is a key part of Northeastern’s defence as well.

It is unfortunate that injuries are derailing promising seasons of so many players in the Canadiens organization. Jonathan Drouin was off to a tremendous start to the year before missing three months. Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia could have set career highs in most offensive categories if not for injuries. Shea Weber is out, Victor Mete and Jesperi Kotkaniemi missed time.

Matthew Peca, Phil Varone and Noah Juulsen should be big parts of the Laval Rocket team but have missed time with injury. Jacob Olofsson and Joni Ikonen have been out for long stretches, affecting their development in Sweden and Finland.

Now it’s Struble’s turn. He could find himself on the top pairing with Harris next time he suits up for Northeastern. It’s just too bad we won’t see that happen until the puck drops on his sophomore campaign.