Canadiens send Jayden Struble to AHL Laval for conditioning stint

The Montreal Canadiens announced Friday that defenseman Jayden Struble has been assigned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket as part of a conditioning stint.

A healthy scratch for Montreal’s past seven games, Struble has been limited to 26 appearances this season in which he has collected two goals and three assists for five points while averaging just over 14 minutes in ice time. Struble also missed an eight-game stretch in December when he was designated as a healthy scratch.

Struble is skating in his second season with the Canadiens following the 2023-24 campaign that saw him register 10 points counting three goals and seven assists in 56 outings. Prior to debuting with the Canadiens last season, Struble spent two seasons with the Rocket, totaling 22 contests in which he combined for one goal and seven assists for eight points.

Per PuckPedia, Struble is in the final year of a two-year contract that carries an $867,500 annual average value. Struble is eligible to become a restricted free agent this coming offseason.

The 23-year-old native of Cumberland, R.I., was originally chosen 46th overall by the Canadiens in the 2019 NHL Draft following a four-year run with the NCAA’s Northeastern Huskies. Struble’s time at the collegiate level was highlighted by the 2021-22 season when the Huskies were crowned regular-season champions, a campaign in which the budding blue-liner finished with 14 points counting three goals and 11 assists across 34 contests.

For the Canadiens, the club remains in the midst of the playoff chase in the Eastern Conference. On the season, the Canadiens sit 24-20-4 and a single point back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wildcard seed. After falling to the Atlantic Division rival Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, the Canadiens will look to rebound when the club returns to the ice Saturday to face off against the New Jersey Devils.