Canadiens GM Kent Hughes Flips 171 Game Veteran to Western Conference

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MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 07: Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens talk prior to Round One of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It’s not been the most consistent start for the Montreal Canadiens so far in the 2026-27 NHL campaign, as they are 1-2-1 through four games, earning three of a possible eight points up for grabs.

In the meantime, general manager Kent Hughes, who re-signed the club’s young free agent players to new contracts during the summer, has made a trade with a Western Conference opponent.

The Montreal Canadiens Have Traded Defenseman Jayden Struble To The Nashville Predators

Montreal has traded defenseman Jayden Struble to the Nashville Predators in return for a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft that originally belonged to the Vegas Golden Knights.

In both French and English, the Canadiens reported the trade on X with the following message: 

“Les Canadiens ont acquis un choix de deuxième tour en 2027 des Predators de Nashville en retour du défenseur Jayden Struble. The Canadiens have acquired a 2027 second-round pick from the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Jayden Struble.” 

So far in three games this year, Struble had yet to register a point.

The Canadiens Took Jayden Struble In The 2019 NHL Draft

Struble was taken by the Canadiens in the second round (46th overall pick) of the 2019 NHL Draft. After four seasons at Northeastern University, he signed a two-year entry-level contract with Montreal in March 2023.

Struble began the 2023–24 season with the American Hockey League affiliate  Laval Rocket but received a three-game suspension for leaving the bench during a November game against the Manitoba Moose. After injuries to Arber Xhekaj and Rafael Harvey-Pinard, the Habs called him up, and he made his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 22, recorded his first point against the San Jose Sharks two days later and scored his first goal Dec. 9 in a shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres.

He finished his rookie season with three goals and seven assists in 56 games before returning to Laval after Montreal missed the playoffs. Struble spent most of 2024–25 with the Canadiens, aside from a brief conditioning stint in Laval in January.

After the season, Montreal extended Struble a qualifying offer to retain his rights as a restricted free agent. He elected for salary arbitration in July but ultimately agreed to a two-year extension in late July.

He’s appeared in 174 NHL regular season games and has seven goals and 28 assists. He also has 14 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience.