Montreal Canadiens Sign Kaiden Guhle to 6-year deal – Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens have extended defenseman Kaiden Guhle to a six-year contract worth $5.55 million per year. The 22-year-old was selected 16th overall by the team in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has 10 goals and 40 points in 114 games, including six goals and 22 points in 70 games last season.
Guhle has never been a dominant scorer given his role as a reliable, two-way defender. However, he ranked second on the Canadiens in blocked shots (178) last season, and third in average ice time (20:51). He spent most of his season alongside Mike Matheson, combining for a good 450 even-strength minutes together.
This contract has the potential to be a steal for the Canadiens. Guhle has a lot of untapped potential and his production so far has been impressive. He finished with just 38 points on defense last season, behind Matheson, David Savard, and Jonathan Kovacevic. His frequency on the penalty kill shows his versatility, and with prospects Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, and Bogdan Konyushkov waiting in the wings, his offensive production will increase.
This is the third signing the Canadiens have made in the past two days. They also signed free agents Justin Barron and Arber Xhekaj to two-year contracts.
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