In the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, former general manager (GM) Marc Bergevin stepped up to the Zoom podium (while the draft was held remotely thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic) and selected left-handed defenseman Kaiden Guhle from the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
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While many wanted the Canadiens to select a homegrown talent like Hendrix Lapierre, they decided to use their 16th overall pick on Guhle. He was not a “sexy” pick, as he had no real flash to his game. However, he was seen as a solid, steady, two-way defender with the potential to become a top-pairing minute-muncher. Three years later, as the 2023-24 season is about to begin, Guhle will be a key piece of the Canadiens’ blue line. Here’s a look at reasonable expectations for his sophomore NHL season.
A Canadiens Core Piece
With Guhle, Montreal has a big rearguard who plays a physical game, and the combination of his strong skating and solid frame makes him tough to play against and hard to knock off the puck once he wins his one-on-one battles. His strength is defense.
He has the size (6-foot-2, 206-pounds) that NHL managers adore. More importantly, he isn’t afraid to use it, as he is highly effective at clearing the front of the net and punishing anyone that enters his side of the defensive zone. He provides impeccable positioning, using his long reach and well-placed stick to cut off passing lanes, shut down plays, take possession, and begin the transition with a well-placed pass. His defense against the rush is also impressive, as he has excellent gap control and separation, even against the best forwards in the NHL.
The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid has been dominating defenders with sheer speed for years. Instead, Guhle was able to step up and shut him down, all without doing anything that could have been called a penalty. This is thanks to his impressive skating ability. He has outstanding mobility in all directions, and while he uses this skill set to shut down the opposition, he is also capable of using it to help with his transition game. It’s his offensive game that has the most room left to develop.
“Size, skating, range, brings some offensive skill to his game and and hard to play against — so he checks all the boxes for us,”
– Marc Bergevin
Guhle has good speed to carry the puck into the offensive zone. Offensively, he isn’t great, but he isn’t bad, either. He can still find the score sheet and create opportunities. He also makes long smooth stretch passes to move the play forward. He has a powerful shot, which he should utilize more, to create more offense.
His game has most often been compared to Shea Weber’s game, as the 21-year-old defender has a hard shot and a strong defensive game. But as noted above, he has far more mobility than Weber was given credit for. Guhle’s game also has some similarities to New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba. At the end of the day, he is a big, all-around defenseman who can adapt to his opponents.
Expectations for Guhle Grow
While he was not considered an offensive defender in his draft year, once he was given an opportunity to play a larger role, including offensively, in his post-draft season, he began to display that skill set. The 2021-22 season saw him jump into the play with more confidence, displaying his solid puck movement and his booming shot from the point. He was a point-per-game player with the WHL Edmonton Oil Kings, leading them to a league championship where he was named the playoff MVP. During that time, he also won a silver medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships and led the tournament in goals among defensemen.
Guhle has exceeded all expectations and is a revelation for the Canadiens. He arrived at last season’s training camp expected to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) but earned his way onto the main roster. He didn’t just play a lesser role in sheltered minutes, either. He was immediately a top-four defender averaging 20:31 per game, and was used in all situations. Despite having missed half the season due to injury, he still managed to score four goals and 18 points in 44 games – a 33-point pace over a full season – as a 20-year-old rookie. His production and ice time were nearly the same as Buffalo Sabres rookie defender Owen Power, which is not bad company to be in.
Guhle’s Next Step
Like all modern NHL blue lines, the Canadiens are looking to build around defenders with mobility, good transitional play, and strong defensive coverage, all skills Guhle provides. His ability to make plays at top speed is a good sign for his offensive game to become effective at the NHL level. If he can start to read plays faster – as head coach Martin St. Louis is trying to instill in his team – he could attack the offensive zone more often by choosing his times to pinch in, allowing him to use his size and his shot to create havoc for opposing defenses.
He will need to be encouraged to shoot more, with only 48 shots on goal in 44 games, and if he does, his production will increase. Also, a healthy season for him and the Canadiens as a whole should also improve his offense. Even though he is still a defense-first player who can excel in a shutdown role, a healthy season should provide him with a consistent defensive partner, allowing him to gain comfort and confidence.
No one should expect a big leap forward in production in his second NHL season. The advanced statistics indicated some struggles. However, considering the lineup over the season, with so many rookies and AHL-level players, that doesn’t tell the entire story. Analytics is just one assessment tool, and the eye test showed that he was and will be a significant contributor to the Canadiens. With a healthy roster, he could reach 35 points this season. Without Joel Edmundson, Guhle will likely get to fill that role, especially on the second pairing and penalty kill.
The Canadiens have a talented two-way defenseman who plays the modern style at a high level. They will need to find him a defensive partner who can complement him properly to allow him to explore and develop his offensive potential. If they can provide that, there’s no reason Guhle won’t improve his offensive game and solidify himself as a legitimate number-three defender this season.