Kaiden Guhle: Renaud Lavoie doesn’t think he’ll play tonight

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Kaiden Guhle: Renaud Lavoie doesn’t think he’ll play tonight

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated May 29, 2026 5:01 PM ET

The Canadiens must win tonight to avoid elimination. Trailing 1-3 in their series against the Hurricanes, the team's season would come to an end with a loss.

And let's just say that's the scenario many people are expecting right now.

It's worth noting that this morning, we saw that Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble didn't skate with the practice squad. So we wondered if Martin St-Louis had decided to do this to keep his cards close to his chest… but the reason might be worse than we feared.

Renaud Lavoie, who was on BPM Sports this afternoon, mentioned that more bad news might be in store for the Habs: he doesn't think Kaiden Guhle will be able to play tonight.

He seemed to be in a lot of pain on the ice Wednesday night, and even though he was able to finish the game, he might very well miss tonight's game.

Obviously, losing Guhle would be a major blow for the Canadiens. The defenseman has been having a very strong playoff run overall and is providing significant minutes for Martin St-Louis.

If Guhle doesn't play tonight, the coach will have to find solutions… and we'll see if he's telling the truth when he says he wouldn't be afraid to give Arber Xhekaj some ice time tonight.

Habs coach Marty St. Louis today on Arber Xhekaj:

“I wouldn't be worried about giving him minutes. He's capable of playing. He's a good player.” pic.twitter.com/OWlBECdjDs

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) May 29, 2026

There is a possibility that Guhle could play tonight. We know that playoff medicine can sometimes work miracles… but it feels like Guhle's situation is particularly uncertain right now.

We'll have to keep an eye on him during warm-ups.

In a nutshell

– That's true.

To win in the playoffs, you need players who aren't afraid of ANYTHING!

Claude Lemieux was that kind of player, Jean Perron reminds us.#lesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/u60a0iXHiq

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) May 29, 2026

– Interesting.

Pierre LeBrun: Re Sharks: Mike Grier is absolutely open to moving the No. 2 pick, depending on the offers, per league sources – The Athletic (5/27)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) May 29, 2026

– That's something.