Struble will finally play some games.
The Canadiens sent Jayden Struble to the Laval Rocket on a conditioning stint. Struble last played on January 10th. That’s a long time ago so this is the best thing to help the player keep his timing. Being scratched for the last seven games is sending a message, that’s for sure.
In his last game against Washington, he logged just 5:09. He had two penalties in just 10 shifts. That’s bad. At 23, Struble still has some possible development time in his future. That’s not the worst thing for him. His 53 hits is good but when you couple that with 23 giveaways in just 26 games and that tells more of a story.
It’s clear the standards have been raised now that the Canadiens are in a playoff race. When you go on an assignment like this, the player needs to fix his game. Struble must shine to get called back up. Some players get demotivated for a period of time, and if that happens it could hold up a recall.
The Canadiens are at home for the next three games, so they can call up someone from Laval on an emergency basis during his conditioning stint. That’s good roster management.
The Canadiens are getting positive reports from a lot of pundits but that doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot. Still, it’s good for the franchise to see that things are moving in a good direction and that’s all fans can ask for. They’ve been patiently waiting through the rebuild.