Kaiden Guhle’s path to a true breakout has been blocked by one thing after another, but the 2026-27 season is starting to look like the one where it all comes together.
The 24-year-old has had to fight through three major injuries over the last few seasons: an upper-body abdominal strain in October 2024, a lacerated cut on his quadriceps muscle in January 2025, and an adductor tear in October 2025. That kind of stop-start stretch makes it hard for any defenseman to find rhythm, especially one expected to handle top-pairing minutes next to a player as dynamic as Lane Hutson.
That’s what made Guhle’s 2024-25 playoff showing so frustrating. In five games, he had no points, finished minus-3, and left plenty of fans wanting more.
But the next playoff run told a very different story.
In Montreal’s 2025-26 postseason, Guhle looked like the player the Canadiens drafted 16th overall in the first round in 2020. He played 19 games, picked up eight assists, and finished at even in plus-minus. More importantly, he was trusted with more than 20 minutes a night and regularly took on tough assignments against strong forwards.
He answered that workload with a steady, physical game. Guhle blocked shots, delivered hits, and made the kind of simple, reliable plays that matter when the games get tight and the margins shrink. Against elite competition, he looked composed rather than overwhelmed.
The partnership with Hutson also took a clear step forward. The two spent more time together, and the chemistry between them continued to grow.
Hutson’s stickhandling and playmaking gave the pair an offensive spark, while Guhle supplied the defensive backbone that let his partner jump into the attack. The fit looked natural, and the way they played suggested a pairing that could handle a wide range of situations.
That was underscored in Game 7, when Guhle delivered two assists in a 2-1 win against Tampa Bay. According to StatsCentre, he joined a short list of Canadiens defencemen with a multi-point Game 7 performance in franchise history, alongside Rick Green, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, J.C. Tremblay, and Eddie Mazur.
The biggest takeaway from Guhle’s postseason wasn’t just the numbers. It was the way he carried himself. After missing so much time in recent seasons, he looked healthy, sharp, and comfortable in a tense, physical Stanley Cup environment against veteran elite players.
If that version of Guhle shows up over a full season, Montreal has a real chance to get the balanced, two-way pairing it has been building toward. A healthy year alongside Hutson could finally give the Canadiens the kind of young defensive duo that blends offensive creativity with dependable shutdown work.
In Other News...
Jets Fans Can't Ignore The Patrik Laine Reunion Debate
Patrik Laines name always carries a little extra weight in Winnipeg, and for good reason. The former Jets winger was once one of the most electric scorers in the organization, which is why any conversation about a reunion comes with both nostalgia and caution. Since leaving Winnipeg in 2021, though, his career has been defined as much by injuries and interrupted opportunity as by the shot that made him such a dangerous player in the first place.
Montreals handling of Laine only sharpened that uncertainty. He barely got on the ice for the Canadiens, then a core-muscle injury sent him to surgery and kept him out for months, leaving his return to form very much an open question. For Winnipeg, the appeal is obvious: there is still a version of Laine that fits the franchises history and could help in the right role. The risk, of course, is figuring out whether that player is still there at all. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Wont Like Where This Arber Xhekaj Buzz Is Going
Kaiden Xhekaj remains a name the Canadiens still value, but the contract picture around him has not come together yet. The 21-year-old is a restricted free agent for the next two years before he would reach unrestricted status in 2028, and the fact that he did not file for arbitration has left the process open-ended rather than headed toward a clear deadline.
The uncertainty is made a little more noticeable by the way his role shrank last season, with his ice time dipping to a career-low 11:25 in 65 games and dropping even further in the playoffs. Montreal would prefer to sort out a deal and keep the situation from lingering, but for now the sides are still working without a finished agreement in place. [Read more 🡒]