Montreal Canadiens: Why Struble Leapfrogged Xhekaj

Montreal Canadiens fans have been torn, questioning Martin St. Louis’ decision to keep Arber Xhekaj in the NHL. 

But Jayden Struble’s place in the scheme of things hasn’t been question. It’s fairly obvious that both players have tremendous room for growth. While Arber is in Laval now, it’s with specific goals and things to work on - not as punishment. 

Struble, developmentally is ahead of Xhekaj, and this has nothing to do with talent. Now hear me out, I am not saying Xhekaj is better than Struble, nor am I saying the opposite. Neither of them have reached their ceiling yet. 

Struble is ahead developmentally, simply because of where he played. In the NCAA with Northeastern University, Struble played against guys as old as 23-24 years old. His matchups were difficult and he had to adapt to playing against big, strong and talented players that could burn with their speed. 

It’s not to discredit Xhekaj at all I believe that Xhekaj has already benefitted from his stint with the Rocket. Arber came up through the Ontario Hockey League ranks, and often he was the biggest and strongest on the ice. Yes, he is a physical specimen, but in college hockey, his game could have undergone much bigger improvements because of his matchups.

Xhekaj Has Cemented Himself On Laval Top Defence Pair

While Arber is missed in Montreal, we can’t act as though he isn’t thriving. Playing huge minutes down with the Rocket has been significant for the Sheriffs development. Offensively he has taken significant strides - he has put his ice time on the man advantage to good use. 

Alongside Logan Mailloux, the pair have leaned on each other and the emergence of a solid duo is on the rise. The Canadiens brass righfully want him back in Montreal, and so do I, but keeping No. 72 and 24 together on Laval’s top pair only helps the young defenders. There is little doubt in my mind that he is ready to come back. 

Martin St. Louis, however, knew that Xhekaj had a little more to give and that the increased ice time in Laval would iron out the wrinkles in his game. More time with the puck on his stick, and being relied upon to provide offence has given Xhekaj the space and confidence to shoot more and create offence. The move has helped Xhekaj and Mailloux, and given Struble an opportunity to prove himself with the Habs after a strong start to his professional career down in Laval. 

While we patiently await the news that Xhekaj has been called up, we can rest assured that he is cooking in the AHL with his buddy Logan. I must say, it’s nice to see Mailloux doing so well, and both he and Arber learning and growing together. Which leads me to the next player - Jayden Struble. 

Jayden Struble Is Staying Put With Habs

Struble is a case of a player, who physically can handle bigger and stronger opponents. But equally, he is the beneficiary of significant time in the gym and battling against older players than that of Xhekaj. This has given him the comfort and trust in his skills to outmuscle, outskate or outwit opponents.

Fortunately for Struble, he has taken the vote of confidence from St. Louis and ran with it. He was by no means an offensive dynamo in the NCAA. But the way he rushes the puck and uses his brilliant edgework to evade defenders is impressive. 

While he can rush the puck through the neutral zone and create chances by himself, he isn’t a one-trick pony. Defensively, he is difficult to play against because he is so strong and quick, that is precisely why he rarely gets beat. Positionally he is always ready to defend, presenting a well-positioned defensive stick, which is disruptive. If that doesn’t work, he staples opponents into the boards with big hits. 

His growth is very impressive, and it was rumoured that while he was called up, it could be more to see the ins and outs of the NHL. His debut wasn’t a guarantee, but he remained ready. His play has made it impossible to take him out of the lineup.

Justin Barron and Jonathan Kovacevic have rotated starts. But along with Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson and David Savard, Struble has cemented himself as a regular on the Habs blueline. Struble is a product of the Habs' focus on building a strong defence.