Don’t expect the Montreal Canadiens to trade defenseman Kaiden Guhle. Keen on keeping the blueliner, the team will explore other options first, only moving Guhle if the offer is so outrageous it can’t be ignored.
Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens have been quite busy locking up some of their own top talent in recent months. First, it was the much-talked-about long-term extension for Lane Hutson, which might have dragged out longer than either side would have liked. Over the weekend came a new deal for veteran defenseman Mike Matheson, who was set to become a UFA at season’s end.
With Hutson and Matheson locked in on the left side, along with Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier on the right side, all seemed set on the blue line in Montreal. While that remains the case, after spending big money on all of these defensemen, questions have emerged about the future of Kaiden Guhle, and according to Marco D’Amico of RG Media, teams around the NHL have been calling, wondering the same thing.
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“It was recently speculated by Jean-Charles Lajoie of TVA Sports that Guhle’s name had started to come up in trade discussions with other teams, which RG can confirm… The Canadiens have made it clear that they believe Guhle to be part of the future in Montreal, as he brings a level of physicality, defensive awareness, and mobility in a package that no other defenseman possesses for the Canadiens at this time,”
The report adds:
“Guhle is a universally appreciated player across NHL executives when he’s healthy and playing, so it only makes sense that they’d shoot their shot. But as of this time, the Canadiens don’t intend on moving such an important piece. That doesn’t mean they don’t have other options,”
The 23-year-old Guhle is in the first season of the six-year, $33.3 million extension he signed with the Canadiens in 2024.
Will Montreal Keep Kaiden Guhle?
While D’Amico mentions the Canadiens have no interest in moving Guhle at the moment, should we expect that sentiment to last throughout the duration of his contract?
Kaiden Guhle trade Canadiens
Quite honestly, it should given how much talent Montreal already has up front. There really isn’t a need to trade Guhle for another high-end forward, and we’ve seen his ability to play the offside, which is very valuable and can allow him to remain in the top four even after all of these extensions.
Guhle provides a much different skillset than that of Hutson, Matheson, Dobson, and Carrier, as a more physical, defensive defenseman that is suited for playoff hockey, so Montreal shouldn’t let go of that.
It certainly makes sense to hear that other teams are calling with interest, but if anything, that should reaffirm the Canadiens to hold onto their 2020 first-round pick (16th overall) for the foreseeable future.
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