Heading into the 2026-27 season, it was a known fact that the Montreal Canadiens had a logjam on the blue line and eventually, General Manager Kent Hughes would have to deal with it in one way or another.
The Canadiens had Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher essentially competing for one spot in the lineup, until it was announced that Kaiden Guhle would miss the first few weeks of the season as he continued to recover from offseason adductor muscle surgery.
Ultimately, it was David Reinbacher who found himself on the outside looking in, despite the former fifth overall pick having a really strong training camp and preseason. He was assigned to the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket to begin the 2026-27 campaign and so far, has one assist, 14 penalty minutes and is a plus-one in two games.
With Kaiden Guhle back in a full-contact sweater at practice and expected to return to the Canadiens lineup within the next 10-to-14 days, could we see Kent Hughes complete a move involving one of the team's defensemen? It's certainly a possibility following a report from The Fourth Period earlier this week.
Trio of Montreal Canadiens Defensemen Drawing Interest on Trade Market
According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, teams around the National Hockey League are "keeping tabs" on Montreal Canadiens defensemen Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble and Adam Engstrom, although a trade is not necessarily imminent.
"Rearguards Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom are considered players of interest to teams looking to bolster their blueline, according to two separate sources across the NHL." Pagnotta said.
It remains unclear which teams are interested in Engstrom, Struble and Xhekaj, but Pagnotta lists the Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers as three teams that are looking for an upgrade on the blue line early on in the 2026-27 season.
"Though it is not known which teams have discussed one of Montreal’s defenceman internally, the Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks are among the teams exploring the defensive market." Pagnotta shared.
It goes without saying, at least in my opinion, that of the three defensemen, Adam Engstrom has the most value. The 22-year-old Swede is coming off a solid second year with the AHL's Laval Rocket, setting new career-highs in goals (10), assists (24) and points (34), helping the club to a North Division title.
Another important fact regarding Adam Engstrom and his potential availability/interest he's receiving, he's the only one of the three defensemen that does not require waivers to be assigned to the American Hockey League. So in other words, the Canadiens could avoid trading him altogether by assigning him to the AHL once Kaiden Guhle returns, while trading one of Arber Xhekaj or Jayden Struble. Personally, I think that's what will happen here.
Arber Xhekaj has drawn interest on the trade market dating back to the deadline last season, with the Calgary Flames being one of the clubs that looked into the possibility of acquiring him. There was a ton of noise surrounding the Hamilton, Ontario native throughout the summer and into September as he remained an unsigned restricted free agent, but the two sides ended up agreeing to terms on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
As for Jayden Struble, who has been paired up with the aforementioned Arber Xhekaj in Montreal's first three games of the season, there's no surprise he's drawing trade interest too. The 25-year-old is a physically intimidating presence on the blue line and is the type of defenseman teams need on their third pairing for a long, grueling playoff run. He's made plenty of in-game mistakes during his time with the Canadiens, as has Arber Xhekaj, but they both still bring plenty of value to a team's blue line from a physical standpoint.
While nothing is close on the trade front, as David Pagnotta reported on Monday, it'll be interesting to see how things play out whenever Kaiden Guhle is cleared by doctors to return to the Montreal Canadiens lineup. To temper fan expectations a bit, I personally think the return in a potential Arber Xhekaj or Jayden Struble trade will be a mid-round draft pick, somewhere in the third to fifth round range, but we'll have to wait and see.