Canadiens Lose Top Defender to Injury

Second-Pairing Question

With Guhle out for an extended period of time, the Canadiens will need to address their second pairing on defense. Guhle began the season playing alongside the uber-talented puck mover Lane Hutson. With Hutson’s slick offensive skills and Guhle’s physical, defensive presence, the Canadiens had a well-balanced duo on the second pairing.

With Guhle out, the team will likely turn to rugged defender Arber Xhekaj with the first opportunity to play alongside Hutson. Xhekaj is not as strong a skater as Guhle, but he does provide a defensive presence that can hopefully balance out the offensively-minded Hutson. That would also allow for the other two pairings to remain unchanged, keeping a level of consistency within the blue line.

Injury Bug

The 23-year-old Guhle has been afflicted with injuries over the past few years, adding a bit of concern as he’s set to miss significant time once again. Last year, he suffered a scary injury that limited him to just 55 regular season games. During a game, a skate lacerated his quadricep muscle, requiring surgery to repair.

The year before, he was limited to 70 games as he dealt with upper-body injuries at different times throughout the year.

Through the first five games of the year, Guhle was performing well. It’s an unfortunate turn as the injury bug once again hits the talented defender.

What makes the injury even more disappointing for both Guhle and the Canadiens is this is the first year of his new contract. Last year, he signed a six-year extension that pays him an average annual value (AAV) of $5.5 million. For this season, he is the team’s second-highest paid defenseman behind Noah Dobson. Beginning next year, he will be the team’s third-highest paid defender as Hutson’s extension carrying an AAV of $8.85 million kicks in.