Kaiden Guhle still has more upside.
Kaiden Guhle is having a weird season physically. He had his appendix removed and missed the majority of training camp and now he has missed time due to an illness, but I still think he’s having a very good season.
When the Canadiens drafted him 16th overall in 2020, I thought that was a solid pick. Dawson Mercer and Lukas Reichel were the other players they probably had under consideration there, so it was a matter of what they valued more.
Guhle is a top defenseman for sure. There is a lot of value in that. Now the question is, how much offense can he provide down the line. That’s always been my question regarding this prospect.
I think he’s a 30-point defenseman. He skates well, has a decent shot, but he’s not going to get power play time, so anything he does will be 5-on-5.
Guhle was getting a good amount of penalty-killing time and 67% defensive zone starts according to InStat. His 71% in winning puck battles was always going to be his bread and butter but that is more than I expected early in his career. His strength and physicality were always going to be an asset.
I like his hockey I.Q. and his active stick. Having interviewed him, I’ve been impressed with his can-do attitude. I think he is a safety valve defenseman. He can be a shutdown guy down the line, but I don’t think he is there yet.
So far, so good with Guhle. He will be a mainstay for years to come barring injury. His shot-blocking numbers are up too and that makes him even more valuable.
The Canadiens have done a nice job developing him.