BREAKING: Bad News Officially Confirmed for Jayden Struble

The 22-year-old young defenseman will ultimately not be able to participate in this duel, having been injured in last Thursday's match.

This is an unfortunate turn of events since he was participating in the team's practice yesterday as a regular player. It's possible that a complication occurred in his path to returning to play.

While the situation is unfavorable for Struble, it is much less so for Arber Xhekaj, who will take advantage of his teammate's absence to play a role in the top-4 of the defensive brigade.

He will be paired with David Savard on the 2nd pair, which is likely to coincide with an increased role and responsibilities on the ice.

We will therefore have the opportunity to see more of number 72 in action tonight, which is a good thing to evaluate his progress this season.

Credit: Habs et LNH