The 2024 year was supposed to be different for the Montreal Canadiens. They believed their rebuild was starting to end, and they wondered whether 2024 would end with them looking ahead to a run at the playoffs in 2025. The year ended with a string of wins that elevated them to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they are still seven points behind in a playoff race. This series will examine how each player performed over the 2024 calendar year. Next up is depth defenseman Jayden Struble.
The year could have been much different for Jayden Struble. The Canadiens had a problem heading into the 2024 offseason, as they had too many defensemen and not enough places to put them. They still have some defensemen playing in Laval who could benefit from playing in the NHL, but they fixed some of the issues by trading Jordan Harris and Johnathan Kovacevic. Struble was a trade candidate but stayed to battle for a full-time spot.
It was unclear whether the Canadiens would find a place for Struble to play. The most likely scenario at one point was that Struble would be the seventh defenseman, bridging the gap between the prospects developing in Laval and the full-time players in the NHL. Struble was the extra defenseman to start the year, but he forced his way into the lineup and hasn't looked back. He now played in 22 games this season, recording five points and a -6 rating.
Struble played in 60 games in the NHL since the start of 2024, which means he only missed 22 of the Canadiens' games. It's an impressive stat for the former second round pick in 2019. It took five years for Struble to finally make his NHL debut after spending some time at Northeastern University, but he hasn't squandered the opportunity.
It's hard to figure out where Struble sits in the organization beyond 2024. Logan Mailloux will soon get full-time duties, and the Canadiens will eventually have to give David Reinbacher a shot. Struble has made it very hard to take him off this roster, but he has to be looking at the numbers game and realizing he's at a disadvantage.
Maybe Struble can parlay his successful 2024 into stealing a spot on the Canadiens' teams of the future. Or, maybe he can parlay 2024 into a spot on another team like Kovacevic is now doing in New Jersey. Nevertheless, Struble will view the past year as a success.