The Montreal Canadiens have extended defenseman Kaiden Guhle to a six-year deal worth $5.55 million annually. The 22-year-old was selected 16th overall by the club in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has 10 goals and 40 points in 114 career games, including six goals and 22 points in 70 games last season.
Guhle has never been the most prominent point producer given his role as a reliable, two-way defenseman. However, he ranked second on the Canadiens in blocked shots (178) last season, as well as third in average ice time (20:51). He spent the majority of his season alongside Mike Matheson, tallying neatly 450 even strength minutes together.
This contract has the potential to become a steal for the Canadiens. Guhle has lots of untapped potential and his production so far is impressive. He finished with just 38 defensive zone giveaways last season, less than 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 is bound to increase.
This is the third signing made by the Canadiens in the past two days. They also signed restricted free agents Justin Barron and Arber Xhekaj to two-year contracts.
