Montreal Canadiens: What Will Habs Lineup Look Like In 2025-26
Pair Three - Arber Xhekaj/Jayden Struble-Justin Barron
I can’t think of a better defender than Xhekaj to put on the third pair. And I think that Struble has a higher potential than both Barron and Xhekaj. Because of that, I have three defensemen instead of two.
My column on how playing in baseball's Little League World Series as a 12-year-old helped prepare Canadiens rookie defenceman Jayden Struble for bright spotlight of playing in the NHL with #Habs. His first 10 games have been very impressive. #HabsIO: https://t.co/fZTrGJfVw7
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) December 11, 2023
Xhekaj is the physical menace who can chip in offensively, defend well and punch opponents' heads off their shoulders if he tries. Struble, the steady, physical presence with such beautiful edges and elite mobility. And Barron, the shooter, whose strong offence masks some of his defensive inefficiencies.
#Habs Juraj Slafkovský on Arber Xhekaj being sent down to Laval: "I'm sure he's a little bit disappointed but I'd say in a good way because it gives you motivation to get better and show you belong in the #NHL and I'm sure he's going to prove it & he'll be back up soon."
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) December 5, 2023
In the interest of having three balanced pairs, with a right and left shot defender, Barron slots in with Xhekaj. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Struble slotted in on his weak side, and still impacted the game at a high level. Barron is sort of the hard one to predict, you hope that he can correct the mental mistakes, but if he struggles, Struble could most certainly fill his role.
This group of seven defenders could be the group that brings the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup berth. With a combination of skill, speed, talent and physicality, I would love to see this group grow together. Surely the blueline will contribute to the Canadiens goal totals.