NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators acquired defenseman Jayden Struble from the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night for a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL draft, adding a physical left-shot defender to the blue line ahead of the club Ottawa trip.
Struble had seven goals and 28 assists in 174 games for the Canadiens. The 25-year-old former Northeastern University player was a second-round pick in 2019. Montreal selected him 46th overall that year, and he logged 167 penalty minutes over four seasons with the Canadiens.
Predators president and general manager Chris MacFarland said in a club release that Struble is a 25-year-old physical defender who will add mobility and a hard-to-play-against quality that will help the backend. The left-shot blueliner is in the final season of a two-year contract extension signed last summer.
Canadian coverage said Struble appeared in three of Montreal four games this season without recording a point while skating about 12:55 minutes a night. He skated a career-high 59 games last season and appeared in 12 playoff games during Montreal run to the Eastern Conference Final.
The Predators were scheduled at Ottawa on Saturday night after the trade, and Struble was available for his Nashville debut on that Eastern Canada stop. For Nashville, Tenn., the deal turns a future second-rounder into present blue-line depth as the Predators navigate an early-season stretch.
Trade terms center on the 2027 second-round selection moving to Montreal with Struble joining Nashville. Club statements from both sides frame the swap as a roster fit move rather than a rental splash, with MacFarland pointing to growth potential alongside the Predators core.
