On Saturday, 11 players opted for arbitration, including Jayden Struble from the Montreal Canadiens. The 23-year-old left-shooting defenseman recently completed his entry-level contract (ELC), which carried a cap hit of $867,500.
Struble, the second overall pick in the 2019 draft, spent four years playing college hockey at Northeastern University before joining the Canadiens organization late in the 2022-23 season. He appeared in nine games with the Laval Rocket, mostly on amateur tryouts, before officially starting his ELC the following year.
Over the past two NHL seasons, Struble has played 56 games each year, tallying five goals, 18 assists for a total of 23 points, along with 109 penalty minutes. He also had a brief stint in the AHL but reached a point where securing regular NHL ice time became necessary.
Like fellow defenseman Arber Xhekaj, Struble struggles to secure a permanent spot in the NHL lineup. While David Sabbard’s departure might have created an opening, the recent acquisition of Noah Dobson likely diminishes those chances.
Last offseason, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes negotiated second contracts with Xhekaj and Justin Barron. Xhekaj signed a two-year, one-way deal with a $1.3 million cap hit, while Barron inked a two-year, one-way contract with a $1.15 million cap hit before being traded to Nashville for Alexandre Carrier.
Earlier this week, the Canadiens extended a qualifying offer to Struble to retain his rights. The offer had to be at least $813,750 per his previous contract. At this juncture, Struble’s salary demands remain unclear, but he has limited bargaining power.
Ideally, both the team and player will negotiate a mutually agreeable deal before the arbitration hearing. This hearing is a formal process where the player presents why he deserves a certain salary, while the team argues against it by highlighting deficiencies in his play.
The hearing is scheduled between July 20 and August 4 and could stall negotiations for at least two weeks. Given the salary cap constraints, it’s unlikely Struble’s award would surpass that of Xhekaj, who played three playoff games while Struble remained a healthy scratch. Notably, Jakub Dobes, who was eligible for arbitration, chose not to pursue it.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Immagn Image
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Fan Take: This arbitration news is crucial for hockey fans as it reflects the ongoing challenges young players face breaking into established NHL rosters, especially under tight salary caps. How Struble’s situation resolves could signal how the Canadiens plan to balance developing talent with maintaining competitive depth on defense.
