Brett Howden faces discipline from NHL Player Safety after Struble elbow

Brett Howden just put Ryan Craig in a hard spot after an ugly elbow on Jaden Struble in Nashville that may lead to a suspension.

Vegas beat Nashville 5-2, but that score is not the story that followed the Knights out of the building.

The story is Howden, his extended arm, and a head-contact sequence that looked bad in real time and worse on replay.

Howden finished with 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots, and a +3 rating, a strong night on paper that now comes with a serious problem attached.

He also logged 15:29, which tells you Ryan Craig trusted him in a meaningful road role before the league-review conversation took over.

For Nashville, Andrew Brunette's bench had every reason to be furious. Struble was exposed, Howden came through high, and the clip spread fast.

Brett Howden's strong night now carries a cost

That is the kind of play the NHL tends to look at closely because the point of contact appeared to ride up into the head.

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The ugly part is the body position. Howden did not just catch Struble with a glancing rub along the wall.

He stepped into the lane, extended through the check, and the elbow became the part everyone replayed after puck drop was long gone.

The Jordan Schmaltz post added fuel because it framed Struble's posture as part of the collision, but that will not erase Howden's responsibility.

Vegas still got the road result, and Adin Hill handled the crease with 25 saves on 27 shots.

But Craig may now have to adjust his bottom six if Howden is unavailable for the next game.

That matters because Howden was not a passenger. He produced, played regular minutes, and gave Vegas secondary scoring in a building that can get loud fast.

The league will weigh head contact, extension, and whether Struble's position changes the level of responsibility on the play.

For Howden, the danger is simple: one bad sequence can wipe out a productive night and force Vegas into an early-season lineup shuffle.

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