Jayden Struble files for arbitration

Saturday was the deadline for eligible players to file for salary arbitration.  The Habs had two in defenceman Jayden Struble and goaltender Jakub Dobes.  While Dobes didn’t file, Struble did.

Struble is coming off his sophomore season in Montreal, one that saw him get into 56 games for the second straight year.  He had two goals and 11 assists along with 54 blocks, 124 hits, and 52 penalty minutes but his playing time dropped slightly from 16:07 per game in 2023-24 to 14:57 per night last season.

Given his limited experience and usage, it’s safe to say that Struble will be getting a bridge contract.  Whether that comes from a negotiated contract or an award from an arbitrator remains to be seen; hearings are generally scheduled from July 20 to August 4.

The fact that Struble filed for arbitration shouldn’t be particularly worrisome for the Habs.  At a minimum, he’s no longer eligible to be offer-sheeted and since his contract is going to be a short-term one anyway, there’s probably not a big gap to be bridged.  The filing just ensures he’ll be under contract before training camp.  Frankly, it’ll be surprising if it gets to a hearing.

Entering the day, there were 47 unsigned players eligible to file, 41 skaters and six goalies.  Only two skaters signed (Dmitri Voronkov and Tye Kartye) and of the remaining 45 players, surprisingly only 11 actually filed, nine skaters and two goalies.  Dobes is in the category of the majority and remains eligible for an offer sheet although that’s an unlikely outcome.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see him – and Struble, for that matter – to sign new contracts with Montreal before long.