The Montreal Canadiens are entering this upcoming season with a strong blueline. This is especially so when noting that they added star defenseman Noah Dobson to it this off-season.
Yet, another Canadiens defenseman who fans should be keeping an eye on during the 2025-26 season is Jayden Struble. The 24-year-old has been solid for Montreal early on in his career, and it is fair to argue that he still has the potential to improve even further for the Canadiens.
Struble had a solid second NHL season with the Habs in 2024-25, as he scored two goals and set new career highs with 11 assists and 13 points in 56 games. He also made an impact when it came to his physicality, as he finished the year with 124 hits. Overall, he took a step forward in his development this past season, and it would not be surprising if he did yet again in 2025-26.
If Struble takes that next step and blossoms into a top-four defenseman, it would be significant for a Canadiens club looking to become a bigger threat in the Eastern Conference. It will be very fascinating to see what kind of season Struble can put together for the Canadiens in 2025-26, but the potential for him to break out and become an important part of the Canadiens' blueline is there.