While nothing is set in stone, the Montreal Canadiens left defence core is seemingly set at the NHL level, and with another strong crop of youngsters on the rise, getting a spot isn’t going to come easy.
At the NHL level, it’s all but sure, barring a surprise at camp, that Matheson, Guhle and Xhekaj will fill the left side of the blue line. Harris has played the right side, but his natural position is on the left side, so let’s say he is the extra defenseman.
The right side is still kind of up in the air, but if it resembles anything like 2022, Savard, Barron and Kovacevic will occupy it. Wideman is still with the organization as well, but he will be in a battle with Barron, Kovacevic and Mailloux for the two remaining pairs. Unlike the left side, there is less of a question of who stands out from the pack.
Unfortunately because of the business side of the game, some players may reach the NHL level, but because of the log jam, it will be with another organization. Not to take away from any of the left defensemen set to represent the Laval Rocket blue line in 2023-24, but Struble stands out from the rest. William Trudeau comes second unless Adam Engstrom comes to North America, which will change the rank.
I would say that Lane Hutson likely has a spot designated for him on the Canadiens blue line; as he provides a game that no other defenseman in the system can provide. And Guhle, Xhekaj and Matheson hold them quite securely right now, which has forced Harris to switch to the right. So, should Struble make the NHL he will have to leapfrog, at the very least, Harris or Xhekaj.
Will Struble’s Future Come With Canadiens Or Elsewhere?
As I said earlier, there are no guarantees in hockey about who ends up playing where. Training camp will be very eye-opening seeing where each young player is at in their development. But I ultimately believe that Struble will play in the AHL for his rookie campaign, but could be atop the list for a call-up, should injuries occur.
Certainly, Struble is ready for the battle; as evidenced by his physique at camp, the kid is yolked.
The problem with Struble is you love his strength, but he is a relative unknown at this juncture because he hasn’t played enough minutes at the pro level. In college, he wasn’t a big point producer, but he showed he has the bite that the Canadiens could use in their lineup. The issue is that Harris provides such a high IQ, and responsible game – the offence hasn’t been eye-popping – so that could be where the real battle lies, if Struble can provide a high-potential offensive output that could be his chance to overtake Harris.
I think it’s hard to picture Struble in the lineup because there is so much depth. Each of the three left defensemen offer such different things. Harris sort of slots in arguably at 3/4 with Xhekaj, and once Hutson arrives, it could push both Struble and Xhekaj to the AHL.
I like Struble and think he has the potential to be a defenseman that is hard to play against but is so athletic that he will develop a solid offensive game. But once the time comes, I think Struble’s best chance to play in the NHL will come with another organization. The positive part of it is that he will fetch a significant return should he be dealt for goaltending help or a scoring winger.
Nothing is set in stone, but from the outside looking in, Struble has a lot to prove. He will be able to show his stuff come October, but he has quite a mountain to climb to crack the left side of the Canadiens defense in the coming years.
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