Earlier this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens re-signed defenseman Jayden Struble to a two-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.4125 million. Getting this deal done with Struble was important for the Canadiens, as he is among their most promising young defensemen.

Struble is coming off a solid season with the Canadiens, as he scored two goals and set new career highs with 11 assists, 13 points, and 124 hits in 56 games. This was after the 6-foot defenseman recorded three goals and 10 points in 56 games with the Canadiens during his rookie season in 2023-24. 

Overall, Struble has had a solid start to his NHL career and is cementing himself as a nice part of the Canadiens' blueline because of it. Yet, when noting that he is still only 23 years old and has just 112 career NHL games on his resume, he undoubtedly still has the potential to hit a new level. With this, he is a clear breakout candidate on the Canadiens to watch during the 2025-26 season. 

Struble has certainly shown promise early on in his career, and he should only improve as he continues to gain more experience. If he can get his offense up a bit more and continue to be reliable defensively, it would be massive for a Canadiens team on the rise. It will be intriguing to see if he can put together a breakout year for the Habs from here.

Former Canadiens Defender Still A Free AgentSince we are in August, the majority of this year's top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have signed their new contracts. While this is the case, there are still some interesting veteran players looking for their new homes. One of them is former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jon Merrill.