Kaiden Guhle

November 2023 – Kaiden Guhle is a star. At 21-years-old, he is by far the Canadiens’ best defenseman, and he is thriving in top matchups. Playing an average of 21 minutes a night, Guhle played a career high 25:01 against the Sharks earlier this week. He is absolutely the teams’ #1D, and he is improving with every game. His defensive pacing is fantastic, and he is dreadful to play against in his own zone. His offensive game has also taken a step, with his playmaking becoming more consistent. Canadiens fans should be very excited about the 16th overall pick. Aaron Itovitch

December 2022 – Guhle has exceeded all expectations that could have ever been set for him. After being traded from Prince Albert in the WHL to Edmonton, Guhle’s game took massive strides. Drafted in 2020 as a unilaterally defensive defenseman, his 25-game stint in Edmonton allowed him to tap in to an offensive skillset that has translated beautifully to the NHL. Now 34 games into his NHL career, Guhle has emerged as a bona-fide pro-ready blueliner. With 13 points in 34 NHL games, he leads rookie defenders. While he is a minus-11 on the season thus far, it is not for a lack of effort. Despite being paired with veteran defenders in David Savard and Joel Edmundson, Guhle has been the heart of every pairing he’s been placed on. Not only is he playing first-pairing minutes every night, he doesn’t even look remotely out of place.

Guhle is a revelation for the Canadiens, who have a talented two-way player on their hands. Analytics indicate that Guhle is struggling, but an eye-test shows that he is a meaningful NHL contributor. If the Habs can find a player that complements Guhle properly, it is not out of the question that he reaches his ceiling of a #3 defenseman on a good team. Aaron Itovitch

December 2021- Guhle has been a dominant physical force to begin his WHL season with 18 points in 20 games. He has recently been traded to the Memorial Cup favourites the Edmonton Oil Kings, and playing on a roster as stacked as theirs will give him every opportunity to succeed and boost his offensive numbers. The blueliner has returned to play for team Canada at the World Junior Championship and was named captain of the team. He will play massive minutes and will likely stand out due to his mature physical tools. Pablo Ruiz

March 2021 – Guhle looked confident in his brief three-game stint for the Laval Rocket before needing to be sent down to the WHL for the start of their season. This is due to the CHL-NHL player transfer agreement which forces players under 20 to either play in the CHL or the NHL without having the option to play in the AHL. Although disappointing as that may be, he will be given the opportunity to play a leadership role for the Prince Albert Raiders where he was named Captain. His physical tools are certainly AHL-level but his decision-making and ability with the puck can still use some work which he will have every chance to work on at the junior level. Pablo Ruiz

January 2020 – Guhle impressed at the world juniors on route to winning a silver medal for Team Canada. He was solid defensively using his skating to step up at the blue line and kill opposing chances off the rush. He was also not afraid to use his speed and size to pinch in the offensive zone to keep a play alive. He ended the tournament with two goals and an assist while playing primarily on the bottom pairing. He is eligible to play in next year’s tournament where he will likely be expected to play big minutes and take on more of a leadership role. With the WHL season still on hold, Guhle will attend the Laval Rocket training camp which will be a great opportunity for him to play some games considering outside of the WJC he has not played since last March. It will also give him a better idea as to how well he holds up playing against men. Pablo Ruiz

December 2020 – With the WHL season postponed, the only games that Ghule has been able to get into are the scrimmage games for team Canada who he will represent at this year’s world junior championship. In those games, he has shown why he was a first-round pick with his high-end skating and the physical presence he plays with. The concern’s people had about his game also came out, as he struggled to make plays under pressure and rarely had a zone exit with possession. He is expected to play in a third-pairing role in the tournament. Pablo Ruiz

October 2020 – Guhle was drafted 16th overall by the Canadiens. Guhle could push for an NHL job after another year or two in the WHL.  Jokke Nevalainen

January 2020 – Kaiden Guhle already has NHL size and he is a good skater for his size. He struggles at times when pivoting in the defensive zone but he does a good job of closing the gap before the need to pivot arises. He has a long reach and a good stick defensively. The defensive end of the ice is where Guhle excels best. He uses his size well, engaging physically and imposing his will at times at the junior level. He struggles at times against bigger players because he needs to develop strength but the foundation for a high-end defensive game is there. Offensively, Guhle plays a stable, sturdy game. He can make a good pass to exit the defensive zone and start transitional play. Once into the offensive zone, Guhle plays a safe game. His biggest weapon is a big shot from the point. He has a bomb that he unleashes without hesitation and when he hits the net, it can be difficult for goalies to make the save if the net-front has any sort of traffic. As a distributor from the backend, he is capable yet unspectacular. He lacks creativity and the offensive instincts that could make him a truly high-level player in the offensive zone. Guhle will be a blueliner who plays a safe defensive game and contribute in a tertiary role offensively. Tony Ferrari