Player Discussion Jayden Struble Part 2
- Thread starter montreal
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I haven't watched Struble at all this season, but I read this post around week ago that puts some context on his lack of production.
The author is obviously a big Struble fan but I do believe he'll get a contract this summer
The whole post for those who don't want to go on another website:
> "Source: Mitch Brown's Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/user/posts?u=13951676)
Now I know what you’re gonna say when you’re gonna see this card. A 5 game sample isn't much and probably not that much reliable, but let me explain why Jayden Struble is a really good prospect and why he shouldn’t be a throwaway or an expendable piece.
Jayden Struble has the best tools in our entire prospect pool of defensman. Easily. He his extremely strong and can muscle out quite litteraly anybody. He is a silky smooth and powerful skater in all 4 ways you can skate and he has a pretty good shot. If you compare him to a guy like Harris for example, he maybe isn’t as smart buy he has way way better tools than him. He is also very smart and is possibly the very best breakout defensman in the entire NCAA. His first pass and his ability to manipulate forcheckers and threading passes through them to his forwards is immaculate. We have nobody in our prospect pool that comes even close to doing it as good as him. Here's a video explaining it briefly and that was in his rookie year (
). The possible improvements notes in the vids are mostly there now.
Now you may be wondering: « If he is that good why isn’t he scoring then? ». This is a very valid concern. Truth is : Northeastern defensman don’t score for the last few years, especially since they got Devon Levi. You can look at the stats. Harris’s production went down in his senior year, this should be a bad sign, but he translated seamlessly to the NHL. Defensman in Northeastern are asked to play defense, put pucks on the net from low danger areas and play simple in front of stellar goalie Devon Levi. Let the forwards do the offense. Think Calgary’s system or Carolina’s (but more Calgary’s).The first time I’ve ever seen Struble go further than the hashmarks in the offensive zone was at the beanpot like a week or so ago and he got an assist. I’ve watched Struble for years now. It’s categorically not true that he did not improve or that he’s still very « raw ».
Why I think Struble is very likely to work in the NHL? Because it was the same for Harris. Harris was a very safe, not much offensive risk guy in college but turned into a very aggressive player in the offensive zone, often permuting and playing a modern NHL offensive defensman role. I remember the first few games of Harris in the NHL last year and seeing him take control of the puck and going behind the net in the O zone to try to make a play and thinking « wow he can do that? ». I think it proves players from that system can change but more importantly also that our staff can allow more freedom to players to completely unlock them which is what Struble desperately needs. Imagine a guy that plays like Harris but is just bigger, faster, stronger and not really much worse defensively. Sounds good right? I think Struble very much could be that. Right now he’s stuck in a system that is not deploying him to the best of his abilities. He has all the tools in the world. I think our new age staff could put it to the best of use in the NHL."
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montreal
Go Habs Go
McGees
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Canadienna
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WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
The only way he doesn't sign is if he doesn't want to sign here.
If he wants to sign, we will sign him and continue development.
If he wants to sign, we will sign him and continue development.
KevSkillz4
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Yes, Habs need to sign that guy.
I'm a big fan of Arber Xhekaj and adding a player like Jayden Struble, that future of D will be so fun to watch.
That's going to make easily Jordan Harris transigeable, even I really like the player and the person he is. Lane Hutson will coming at LD aswell, with Guhle, Hutson, Xhekaj and Struble, Engstrom, no place for Harris and he is going to have good value like Romanov if he continue to progress.
I'm a big fan of Arber Xhekaj and adding a player like Jayden Struble, that future of D will be so fun to watch.
That's going to make easily Jordan Harris transigeable, even I really like the player and the person he is. Lane Hutson will coming at LD aswell, with Guhle, Hutson, Xhekaj and Struble, Engstrom, no place for Harris and he is going to have good value like Romanov if he continue to progress.
Adam Michaels
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3 options for Struble:
1 - Sign his 2-year ELC as of this year and finish the year in MTL, similar to Harris last year.
2 - Sign his ELC that kicks in next year and signs an AHL deal/PTO to finish the year in Laval, which would make him eligible for the playoffs if they qualify. This is similar to what they did with Condotta last year. And what Habs did with Primeau when he first signed his pro contract. His ELC was kicking in the following year, but signed an AHL PTO to be with Laval (even though he didn't play any games, he was around the team).
3 - The unlikeliest scenario IMO, he opts to go to free agency on August 16th and sign wherever he wants.
Option #1 would make him ineligible to play with Laval. He'd have to stay in Montreal.
Option #2 is the only way he can be eligible to play in Laval.
1 - Sign his 2-year ELC as of this year and finish the year in MTL, similar to Harris last year.
2 - Sign his ELC that kicks in next year and signs an AHL deal/PTO to finish the year in Laval, which would make him eligible for the playoffs if they qualify. This is similar to what they did with Condotta last year. And what Habs did with Primeau when he first signed his pro contract. His ELC was kicking in the following year, but signed an AHL PTO to be with Laval (even though he didn't play any games, he was around the team).
3 - The unlikeliest scenario IMO, he opts to go to free agency on August 16th and sign wherever he wants.
Option #1 would make him ineligible to play with Laval. He'd have to stay in Montreal.
Option #2 is the only way he can be eligible to play in Laval.
McGees
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Adam Michaels
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He would only be eligible if he signs an AHL deal or PTO. If his ELC kicks in this year, then he won't be eligible to play with Laval.
I'm not sure #3 is that unlikely, to be honest.
Struble and his agent certainly see how he ranks in LHD depth in the Montreal system.
Matheson, Edmundson, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris, Hutson, Engstrom, Trudeau, Beaudin, Schueneman, Norlinder...
Not unlikely he'd have better odds on another NHL team.
1909
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The only thing that could make him NOT to sign with the Habs is the abundance of LHD in the pipeline. Struble might think his chances would be higher to reach NHL with another org. Gorton and Hughes will have to be very clever to attract him .
Edmundson could be gone next Fall. Four others are huge question marks, even Engstrom and Hutson. Guhle could be asked to play right side eventually.
Bergevin and Timmins had a hard time finding good RHD for sure. Basically only Mailloux is a possibility. Lernout, Fleury, Juulsen, Brook did not pan out for a reason or another.
Still, I'm not even sure he has a spot in Laval on the left side currently with Beaudin, Norlinder, Trudeau, Schueneman.
We'll see, but my feeling is he's gone. Hopefully I'm wrong.
If he wants to sign, I don't see why Hughes wouldn't.
That said, I know I don't expect much from him, yeah physical tools are great, very good skater, seems very strong for his size, and likes the rough stuff... but production stagnated quickly, takes a lot of penalties, his IQ has been 'meh' since day one. He's a Timmins pick through and through.
He may become a bottom-pairing defensive D if he adjusts his positioning in the pros, could be a pain in the ass at the next level, who knows, we may get a 'Barret Jackman' out of this.
And we're at 42 contracts, no big deal.
That said, I know I don't expect much from him, yeah physical tools are great, very good skater, seems very strong for his size, and likes the rough stuff... but production stagnated quickly, takes a lot of penalties, his IQ has been 'meh' since day one. He's a Timmins pick through and through.
He may become a bottom-pairing defensive D if he adjusts his positioning in the pros, could be a pain in the ass at the next level, who knows, we may get a 'Barret Jackman' out of this.
And we're at 42 contracts, no big deal.
1909
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I hope those smallish guys Mesar, Farrell, Hutson will play at NHL level and have some impact à la Caufield, but I am sick and tired to see Habs draft players (forwards) with what we called in French : "Frame de chat". I want bigger guys with skills, who can hit, take a hit, win battles. When I look at Ottawa, Carolina, TB, Boston etc, I see teams with size and skills. They don't have six-seven guys under 5'10". I admire courage of smaller guys like Caufield and RHP, but you can't have too many of those on a team.
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Adam Michaels
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- Edmundson will be out of his way. He will be traded.
- Hutson will go back to NCAA and Engstrom will be in Europe. Struble will get to prove what he can do now rather than a year or two down the road like the other two. So he's ahead of them in terms of getting his opportunity.
- Schueneman isn't signed next year. And even if he is signed, he will not be ahead of Struble.
Much like Harris and Guhle, Struble is also able to play the right side, as well.
Also, speaking of agent (which in college, they're called family advisors since NCAA players can't have agents), did you know Kent Hughes was his family advisor before Hughes became GM? He also played with Hughes' and MSL's kids, so he does have a familial connection with both of them, and with Kent directly, he was his advisor.
It's not impossible that he doesn't sign. But it is unlikely.
The same thing was said of Harris last year. That he had no incentive to sign here since the LD is clogged (both Guhle & Xhekaj would be turning pro), there was Edmundson, Romanov, Schueneman, Fairbrother, Norlinder would be coming over from Europe, so people were wondering if he'd even sign or hit free agency to sign somewhere where the path would be more open for him.
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Adam Michaels
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That will be done this coming Sunday on the 19th.
All of the conference tournaments will end on Saturday. So 6 of the automatic bids will be official when the conference champions are crowned. And then on Sunday, they will select who the other 10 teams will be.
I'd be surprised if NE is selected to go. They finished 20th in the Pairwise. So I think it is more likely their year is over than it is them being selected to go.
BUT, Struble could wait until then before signing just in case they do get selected.
We can keep an eye on Devon Levi with Buffalo and Aiden McDonough with Canucks to see if they sign. McDonough will have to since, like Struble, just finished his senior year. Levi can return to NE next year if he wants to. But IF those guys are signed, then it will pretty much confirm NE's season is over.
Kudo Shinichi
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Struble is signing with the habs for sure. He made that obvious in his recent interviews
HuGort
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Stacked is probably overstating it given that we are talking about a defensive core 8th in the league for most goals allowed
1909
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Normal. Our D-corp is rather very young. And our forwards are not defensive- checking wizards.
