Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble now find themselves at the center of a storm after a rather quiet trade deadline for the Montreal Canadiens.
Several observers are seriously wondering why Kent Hughes did not make a move to acquire a depth defenseman for the remainder of the season.
Let’s be honest with ourselves: the performance of the young defensemen raises important questions about the level of trust with the head coach.
We can agree that if management had full confidence in its current core, rumors of dissatisfaction would not be surfacing so intensely.
Arber Xhekaj has posted a -3 rating over his last five games, which is starting to weigh heavily on the big defenseman.
Meanwhile, Jayden Struble appears to be searching for his footing on the ice, and his average ice time has dropped below the 14-minute mark.
Simply put, execution in the defensive zone is not smooth, and quick breakouts are becoming increasingly rare.
Lack of trust is affecting the breakout
“Still scratching my head on why Montreal didn’t add a depth defenseman. Clearly a mistrust between coach and Xhekaj/Struble, which is gravely effecting their play.”
– David Calabretta
Without an effective breakout, the Canadiens are shooting themselves in the foot and exposing themselves to repeated attacks from opponents in the Atlantic Division.
Management chose not to shop for a veteran, preferring to let the young players learn the hard way in the heat of NHL action.
In March, every mistake is costly, and the lack of offensive production from the defensive corps is becoming a major issue.
You cannot expect to win with zero goals from defensemen over a stretch of three consecutive games – it’s simply math.
Fans are now waiting for a direct response on the ice to prove that this rebuild is moving in the right direction without immediate reinforcements.
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Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble at center of Martin St-Louis trust debate after Canadiens’ quiet deadline
Did the Canadiens make a mistake by not adding a defenseman?