Kaiden Guhle wore the “C” for captain with the Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Junior League and with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship.
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He has the seed of a leader. It shows on the ice. It is also felt in the locker room. When you close your eyes and listen to him speak after a meeting, you could hear Shea Weber. He has already stolen a few quotes from the book of the former captain of the Canadiens.
He will always talk about the team and very little about himself. When reminded that he was the most-used player on both teams with a time of 24:43, slowed Sidney Crosby’s line and got his first two assists in the NHL, the Albertan kept both feet on the ground.
“I felt good, but it’s just one game. At midnight, I will forget it. I was happy to put in a good performance against a good team like the Penguins, but it’s still just a game.”
“It’s cool to get my first two points, but I’m even happier with the win,” he continued. It was a pleasant meeting, the supporters were happy at the end. We have managed a good comeback, we are talking about a team victory.
four small games
Guhle has a minimal four-game NHL experience. In three of his first four meetings, he exceeded the 20 min mark. Without going too big a prediction, we can already assume that he will establish himself as a number one or two defenseman in the NHL.
Inside the locker room, Jake Evans summed up his big league debut nicely.
“He only played four games in the NHL,” Evans said. For a young defender, he already finds himself against the best lines of the opposing team. You probably can’t find tougher matchups. But he’s amazing, he slows down the best players on the opposing team. He has a lot of confidence.”
“I’m very impressed,” continued Evans. He has a lot of confidence and passion. In my first games in the NHL, I would never have attempted such plays. He had a terrific backhand pass for Nick [Suzuki].”
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Less shy
Since the day of his draft, Guhle has been hearing comparisons to Weber. Nick Suzuki didn’t flinch when told that some scouts have described him as a defender in the mold of the former number 6.
“Kaiden is slowly coming out of his shell, but he talks a little more in the locker room,” Suzuki said. I have the feeling that we will hear it more and more. On the ice, he plays in a really calm way. He is physical, he moves the puck well and he reads the game well.
Martin St-Louis also had bright eyes and a smile in his voice when talking about Guhle.
“You see his skills and his confidence. It has a very high ceiling. He already has a good floor, a good foundation.
If there’s a silver lining to injuries to Joel Edmundson and Mike Matheson, it’s undoubtedly the bigger responsibilities given to Guhle this season. He gained the confidence of St-Louis and Stéphane Robidas in a very short time.