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<\/a><\/p>\nWhile clearly overwhelmed by the volume of tough-minute assignments he received as a rookie, since then Guhle has consistently given the Canadiens the results of a #3 defenceman on the dept chart from ages 21 through 23.<\/p>\n
Mike Matheson has been a big part of Guhle\u2019s development path, taking on the toughest assignments most nights in order to let the younger Canadiens defencemen breathe a little, but Guhle deserves his flowers as well for this level of consistent performance as such a young player on a very inconsistent team, while dealing with a myriad of injuries. Not to mention often playing on his off-side.<\/p>\n
Considering the development of Hutson and the acquisition of Noah Dobson, Guhle already being a solid number-three defenceman in the NHL is a serious boon to the Canadiens, but my question is how good can he be if this is the version of Guhle we get at 23 years old: oft-injured and unlikely to be deployed in an ideal scenario?<\/p>\n
Consistency is key<\/p>\n
Hockey is a sport that contains a lot of randomness within it, a lot of variance. Considering the extreme situation he found himself in during this rebuild, the consistency in results Guhle has offered the Habs says a lot. If we combine the data from his sophomore season onward, where does Guhle rank by these same metrics?<\/p>\n
By goals above replacement, Guhle ranks 63rd of 203 regular NHL defencemen, meaning he has been a lower-end number-two defenceman by that metric. By expected goals above replacement, Guhle ranks 58th of 203 regular NHL defencemen, slotting him in the same position.<\/p>\n
While these metrics don\u2019t tell us everything, it\u2019s a relatively safe assumption that Guhle will settle in through his prime as a mid-tier number-three defenceman at worst. The consistency of his play is what makes him so effective, meaning his coach can trust him to be the same player and give similar results for his club. The capability to give the results of a good number-three essentially all the time makes him more than that.<\/p>\n
Coaches adore players they can trust, and it\u2019s relatively rare to earn that badge of honour at such a young age, and we know Martin St-Louis has a whole lot of trust in Guhle. How rare exactly? Guess how many of the 57 defencemen ranked ahead of Guhle in xGAR since 2023 are younger than he is. Brandt Clarke, Hutson, and Jake Sanderson. That\u2019s it. By GAR Simon Edvinsson and Owen Power jump ahead, but Clarke drops behind.<\/p>\n
Not just defensive<\/p>\n
While Guhle is very rarely going to get power-play time over Hutson, Dobson, or Matheson, it\u2019s worth noting that he is much more than simply a defensive defenceman. Guhle\u2019s puck skills allow him to be a big part of the Canadiens\u2019 transition game and contribute offence at five-on-five with 0.93 points per 60 minutes, the 75th-highest mark over the last few seasons. That may not seem like a lot of offence, but that puts him in the same range as players like Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Travis Sanheim, and Aaron Ekblad.<\/p>\n
Guhle isn\u2019t a dynamic playmaker like Hutson or Dobson, nor is he the skating threat that Matheson is, but his skill level being above average in so many areas allows him to be a very versatile contributor.<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t have the biggest shot, but his 0.28 goals per hour at five-on-five ties him for 37th among NHL regular defencemen since 2023. He\u2019s not the fastest skater, but he keeps up with the vast majority of NHLers. He\u2019s not the best playmaker, but he\u2019s adept at finding teammates on breakouts, and making the right decision to allow whoever he\u2019s passing the puck toward to have better options than he had. He\u2019s not the most physical defenceman out there, but he\u2019ll overpower the vast majority of his opponents.<\/p>\n
Versatility and consistency are two of the most important qualities anyone can have at the top level in team sports. While Guhle may not bring the excitement that Hutson does, or the control of the pace of the game that Dobson does, he can be trusted in any situation to give a predictable result.<\/p>\n
If Guhle were to never improve from where he is right now, he\u2019s already good value at the 67th-highest cap hit in the NHL among defencemen, and the Canadiens\u2019 depth on defence continues to look staggering with Reinbacher still waiting in the wings to join Guhle, Hutson, and Dobson. And that\u2019s if Guhle doesn\u2019t get even better, which he likely will, even by virtue of playing on his natural left side of the ice.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to forget about the impact Guhle has had on the Canadiens since the additions of Hutson and Dobson, but he is a key cog in the future of the team. <\/p>\n
Andrew Berkshire is the former managing editor of Eyes on the Prize, and the founder of\u00a0Game Over Network Inc.<\/a>\u00a0A Canadian, employee-owned sports media startup focused on platforming young creators across the country. Find Andrew live on YouTube after Habs games with\u00a0Game Over Montreal<\/a>, where you can also find Marc Dumont, Kay Imam, and Conor Tomalty to bring you interactive postgame analysis. You can join the Game Over Network\u2019s\u00a0Discord<\/a>, and support us on\u00a0Patreon<\/a>\u00a0as we employ over 30 young sports journalists and analysts across Canada\u2019s seven NHL markets.<\/p>\n Social Media links: [Bluesky<\/a>] [TikTok<\/a>] [Instagram<\/a>] [Threads<\/a>] [Facebook<\/a>] [LinkedIn<\/a>]<\/p>\n \t