Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes announced on Friday that the team has traded defenseman Jayden Struble to the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick in 2027. The pick is one Nashville had previously acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights.

The timing is no surprise when you look at the lineup. Struble did not play on Thursday against Nashville, when Adam Engstrom took his place on the third pair, and he had played three of the team’s first four games.

What the Canadiens Get

A second-round pick in 2027. For a third-pair defenseman who was sliding down the lineup, that is a good return for Hughes. It is also a nice circle: Montreal drafted Struble in the second round, 46th overall, in 2019, and now gets a second-round pick back for him.

Struble’s Four Seasons in Montreal

Struble, a 25-year-old from Cumberland, Rhode Island, made his NHL debut in 2023-24 and played 174 regular season games for the Canadiens. He finished with seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points, along with 167 penalty minutes, which fits the physical game he brought every night.

He played 56 games in 2023-24 (3 goals, 7 assists), 56 games in 2024-25 (2 goals, 11 assists) and 59 games last season (2 goals, 10 assists). This season he played three games with no points, averaging 12:05 a night. He also played 14 playoff games for Montreal, including 12 in the run to the Eastern Conference final last spring.

What It Means for the Blue Line

With Struble gone, Montreal has Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson, Alexandre Carrier, Adam Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj on defense, plus Kaiden Guhle, who was on the ice Friday and is close to returning. That makes the third-pair spot next to Xhekaj a decision between Engstrom and Guhle once he is ready.

It also gives the team more room to look at how the defense is playing. The Canadiens have allowed 19 goals in four games, so every spot on the blue line matters. You can see the full picture on the Contracts page and in the Roster Moves section.

What Comes Next

The Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at 7 PM ET. The goalie and the lines will come on game day, so follow the Lineup Tonight page for the full defense pairs.