Value of: Jayden Struble to Edmonton

StreetHawk

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Sep 30, 2017
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Montreal has Savard on the RHD and Matheson on the LHD as their vets.
X and Harris need to clear waivers as LHD. Guhle, Hutson, and Struble as LHD do not, but I don't envision Guhle getting sent down to the A. Barron RHD needs to clear waivers. Reinbacher and Mailloux the other RHD prospects do not. Figure with Mailloux since he didn't play much in his draft and draft +1 year will spend another year in the A.

So, it's Savard, Matheson, X, Guhle, Harris, Barron, Struble as the returnees with Hutson, Reinbacher competing for a spot.

I believe Guhle has been the guy to swing to the right side so far.

For Harris/Struble, if they are only going to be 3rd pairing Dmen in the NHL, then they need to be able to do something well, be it defend, PK, physical, transition game, etc.. Especially as LHD which is the easier side to replace on the 3rd pairing.

See who is able to lock down their spot.
 
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Spearmint Rhino

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Sep 17, 2013
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There is no compelling argument to say that Struble is better than Kulak right now. Kulak has been very good for the Oilers especially in the playoffs where he has elevated his game three years in a row. He has also been an excellent partner for Broberg. Struble is still very much an unknown quantity. He has had a rather sheltered start to his career and has still been somewhat underwater. He'll need a few more years for your claim to have any chance of being true.
Other than Slaf breaking out in the 2nd half, Struble was arguably the biggest surprise on our team this year after his call up. Outside of WiFi he’s our most physical d-man, defends very well and isn’t a black hole offensively. He was getting rave reviews from the commentators on a nightly basis something I can’t ever recall when Kulak was in Montreal.
 

Kudo Shinichi

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Apr 20, 2012
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I don't think the habs are looking to trade Struble right now. If they do, then I don't see them trading Struble for less than a 2nd.

Harris is more likely who they would be looking to move imo.
 
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dgibb10

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Feb 29, 2024
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Struble is already better than Kulak and will just be turning 23 when the season starts so lots of runway left to improve. We got a 2nd and 4th for Brett, would take at least that but as noted we are flush with picks so Holloway would be the target - he was great some shifts in the playoffs but also invisible most of the time so he’s not a slam dunk stud but a gamble you hope pays off.
Jayden Struble is not better than Kulak lmao.
 

Fourier

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Dec 29, 2006
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Other than Slaf breaking out in the 2nd half, Struble was arguably the biggest surprise on our team this year after his call up. Outside of WiFi he’s our most physical d-man, defends very well and isn’t a black hole offensively. He was getting rave reviews from the commentators on a nightly basis something I can’t ever recall when Kulak was in Montreal.
It's not surprising that a rookie who plays above expectations would generate buzz. But there is a big difference between that and anointing him to be better than a vet who is playing a significant role on a contender. It is true that Kulak is just the third pair LHD on the Oilers but he still has more responsibility than a guy like Struble right now. Kulak has been very good for the Oilers. He has also recently had inexperienced partners and has done a very good job both mentoring them as well as acting as a stabilizing influence.

Vinny Desharnais was also a surprise. He went from almost completely unknown to having a regular role on the backend and played well enough to earn himself a multi-year $2M contract with the Canucks. The fact that his play was unexpected meant he also generated much more buzz than you would have heard for Kulak. Yet when things got most intense Desharnais was in the PB watching while Kulak was a contributor to the Oilers coming within one game of winning it all.
 

dgibb10

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Feb 29, 2024
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Other than Slaf breaking out in the 2nd half, Struble was arguably the biggest surprise on our team this year after his call up. Outside of WiFi he’s our most physical d-man, defends very well and isn’t a black hole offensively. He was getting rave reviews from the commentators on a nightly basis something I can’t ever recall when Kulak was in Montreal.
He had the worst xGoals share of any MTL dman this year, which is saying a lot because MTL has one of the worst dcores in hockey right now
 

SupremeTeam16

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May 31, 2013
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Can’t see how this trade makes sense for either team. Struble seems like a guy Montreal probably wants to keep in the system as they flesh out their blue line.

From Edmontons perspective, Holloway is an absolute bull and a strong forechecker who provides cheap depth in their top 9 while Struble would be on their AHL blue line.
 

MXD

Partying Hard
Oct 27, 2005
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Jayden Struble looked pretty good for Montreal when he was paired with David Savard, and a bit pedestrian when he wasn't.
 

Spearmint Rhino

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Sep 17, 2013
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It's not surprising that a rookie who plays above expectations would generate buzz. But there is a big difference between that and anointing him to be better than a vet who is playing a significant role on a contender. It is true that Kulak is just the third pair LHD on the Oilers but he still has more responsibility than a guy like Struble right now. Kulak has been very good for the Oilers. He has also recently had inexperienced partners and has done a very good job both mentoring them as well as acting as a stabilizing influence.

Vinny Desharnais was also a surprise. He went from almost completely unknown to having a regular role on the backend and played well enough to earn himself a multi-year $2M contract with the Canucks. The fact that his play was unexpected meant he also generated much more buzz than you would have heard for Kulak. Yet when things got most intense Desharnais was in the PB watching while Kulak was a contributor to the Oilers coming within one game of winning it all.
And Kulak was in our press box for a bunch of games during our run and still got a 2nd and a 4th the next season. Nobody in Montreal would trade Struble for Kulak and not really looking to move him, assumed it was an Oiler fan asking for him in the OP
 

Fourier

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Dec 29, 2006
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And Kulak was in our press box for a bunch of games during our run and still got a 2nd and a 4th the next season. Nobody in Montreal would trade Struble for Kulak and not really looking to move him, assumed it was an Oiler fan asking for him in the OP
The Oilers and the Habs are in very different places. I won't argue that the Habs would trade Struble for Kulak. But that does not mean that Struble is currently better than Kulak. He's not. Whether he ever is will be determined in the future.

Since you mentioned it do you actually think you would get a 2nd and a 4th for Struble right now? If so I suspect we have a very different idea of how players are valued around the league.
 

Spearmint Rhino

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Sep 17, 2013
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The Oilers and the Habs are in very different places. I won't argue that the Habs would trade Struble for Kulak. But that does not mean that Struble is currently better than Kulak. He's not. Whether he ever is will be determined in the future.

Since you mentioned it do you actually think you would get a 2nd and a 4th for Struble right now? If so I suspect we have a very different idea of how players are valued around the league.
I’d see his value as that or better but don’t need picks. The kid is probably pound for pound one of the strongest young guys in the league which will be of value to lots of GMs
 

Fourier

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I’d see his value as that or better but don’t need picks. The kid is probably pound for pound one of the strongest young guys in the league which will be of value to lots of GMs
Struble has attributes that are no doubt attractive. He is physical and is a good skater. But he still has to learn the game and has yet to prove that he is more than a big hitter at the NHL level. Even if the signs of more are there he was still somewhat underwater in a very sheltered role. While this is to be expected for a rookie defenseman, it is none the less true. He's never had any real offense in his game and while one might say that this should not matter for a defenseman the reality is that in terms of value it certainly does.

Struble almost surely has more value to the Habs than he would on the trade market right now. If he continues to progress then his value will also increase. But right now, since the goal is to use assets to help the team win this year he ss definitely not the guy the Oilers would target at this point in time unless he was very cheap or unless it was in a deal to move out cap such as for a guy like Ceci. The latter would not seem to be in the Hab's interest.
 

CanadienShark

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Dec 18, 2012
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jayden-struble-2024-45.jpg


darnell-nurse-2024-41.jpg


what the heck?
Is either one photoshopped there? Holy crap. :laugh:
 

Homesick

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Don't see why the Oilers would be interested.
The Oilers D is a weak point and moving assets for a LHD to play in the AHL isn't very wise
 

Jared Dunn

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Dec 23, 2013
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Don't see why the Oilers would be interested.
The Oilers D is a weak point and moving assets for a LHD to play in the AHL isn't very wise
I mean I think he'd be a good cheap replacement for Kulak if they were looking to clear some cap to make an improvement on the right side, but kind of a convoluted way to go about that
 

Spawn

Something in the water
Feb 20, 2006
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I mean I think he'd be a good cheap replacement for Kulak if they were looking to clear some cap to make an improvement on the right side, but kind of a convoluted way to go about that
They already have a good cheap replacement for Kulak in Broberg
 

le_sean

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Oct 21, 2006
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There is no compelling argument to say that Struble is better than Kulak right now. Kulak has been very good for the Oilers especially in the playoffs where he has elevated his game three years in a row. He has also been an excellent partner for Broberg. Struble is still very much an unknown quantity. He has had a rather sheltered start to his career and has still been somewhat underwater. He'll need a few more years for your claim to have any chance of being true.
Kulak offers nothing other than being steady. Maybe that’s good enough for the Oilers in the regular season. But I’d want some physicality if my team is trying to go for another long playoff run, especially after losing Desharnais. The defence is soft as shit.
 
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Fourier

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Dec 29, 2006
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Kulak offers nothing other than being steady. Maybe that’s good enough for the Oilers in the regular season. But I’d want some physicality if my team is trying to go for another long playoff run, especially after losing Desharnais. The defence is soft as shit.
Physicality is fine if you can do other things well. But if you can't then it is not a big plus. Kulak has been very good three playoff years in a row. The defense on the whole was excellent without Desharnais and they did manage to make it to game 7 of the final. I doubt that Struble would have been the guy to put them over the top.
 

FerrisRox

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Sep 17, 2003
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I'm not sure Montreal is looking to move him right now. A 3d rounder is likely his actual value, but Montreal has plenty of picks in the system.

I would be really disappointed if he was traded for a third rounder. I think his value, especially from a team like Edmonton, is a 2nd rounder, but I'd rather they not deal him at all.
 

le_sean

Registered User
Oct 21, 2006
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Physicality is fine if you can do other things well. But if you can't then it is not a big plus. Kulak has been very good three playoff years in a row. The defense on the whole was excellent without Desharnais and they did manage to make it to game 7 of the final. I doubt that Struble would have been the guy to put them over the top.
Talking about one run though. The toll a second run in a row takes would be difficult. But we are just talking about bottom pairing defenders so it’s not really that game changing.
 

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