The 21-year-old rearguard is a key piece of the Canadiens' young defensive core, leading the way for a solid slate of even younger prospects in the organization.
The roar was loud and unabashed. When Kaiden Guhle pounced on that loose puck in front of Jeremy Swayman's net last Saturday night in overtime, and made no mistake finding the back of the net, the young defenseman's reaction, accompanied by that loud yell and celebration, was one of pure excitement.
Scoring that first career game-winning goal, and doing it in overtime, put Guhle in Montreal's history books. He's now the second-youngest blueliner in the organization to score in overtime, with only P.K. Subban doing it at an earlier age.
His first of the season, the goal was certainly special, sealing a win against the formidable Boston Bruins. But Guhle's actions were much more valuable to the Canadiens organization than just securing the second point up for grabs that night.
The Sherwood Park, AB native has shown plenty of hope for Montreal over his short tenure in the NHL, and even in his days playing in the WHL for the Prince Albert Raiders and Edmonton Oil Kings or representing Team Canada at the World Juniors. Pretty much every level of hockey Guhle had played in, he has demonstrated poise, promise, and great leadership.
Those characteristics have transitioned with him to the professional ranks. Despite being plagued by injury last year, Guhle still put up 18 points (4G / 14A) in the 44 games he played. Saturday's game-winner against Boston seemed like just the thing he needed to have happen to help break his game wide open this season, having already tallied five assists this year.
Lots of attention is focused on the razzle-dazzle young forwards Montreal's lineup boasts, but Guhle could quite possibly be quietly making the case for himself that he could eventually end up being a substantial superstar for the Canadiens.
And there's more to be excited about on defense for Habs fans. In addition to the prospects already on the NHL roster, there are some good candidates for which blueliner(s) could be the first defensive prospects to be recalled when the time comes this season. Beyond that, Lane Hutson is making waves once again in the NCAA, and David Reinbacher continues to hone his craft in Europe this season.
Combine all of these factors, and you have the makings of a formidable future core of defenseman suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens. It'll take time for them to be NHL ready, but once they are, watch out.
You heard some of my thoughts on this topic, if you watched the video excerpt at the top of this article, and if you want to hear the REST of my analysis, then I invite you to click the following link to watch this week's episode of Habs Hockey Report on YouTube: Kaiden Guhle: Blueline Superstar In the Making? PLUS Struble, Hutson Update
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world.
