Montreal Canadiens: Kaiden Guhle and Team Canada take on Germany

Montreal Canadiens first round pick Kaiden Guhle begins World Juniors today.

Montreal Canadiens’ 2020 first round draft pick Kaiden Guhle will make his World Junior debut for Team Canada at 6 p.m. ET. Guhle and team Canada will take on Team Germany in the beginning of their quest for Gold.

Guhle, the 6 foot 2 defenseman from Sherwood Park Alberta, saw one game of pre-tournament action, in which Team Canada defeated Team Russia 1-0.

All throughout training camp and in the one exhibition game, Guhle was slotted in on the third pairing next to Colorado Avalanche first-rounder Justin Barron. Barron plays an offensive minded game, as he has put up 7 points in 8 games playing in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads. All signs point to Guhle starting next to Barron against Germany.

Team Germany is headlined by 2020 third overall pick Tim Stutzle. The Ottawa Senators pick ,in Stutzle, will be relied upon for his offensive output, as beyond the young winger, Germany is lacking in high-end talent.

Germany has already played a tournament game, losing to Finland 5-3.

Guhle is known for his hard-nosed style of game and will be relied upon for heavy penalty kill minutes, as well as shut-down minutes behind a very talented pairing of Jamie Drysdale and Bowen Byram.

Montreal’s newest first round prospect, in Guhle, put up career highs in the WHL last season with the Prince Albert Raiders. Guhle collected 11 goals and 29 assists, for 40 points in 64 games played. This made him the Raiders’ top scoring defenseman.

When drafted by the Canadiens, Guhle was praised by Canadiens’ assistant GM Trevor Timmins, for his heavy style of play and hard to play against mentality. Something the Canadiens have been trying to implement more of into their lineup the past few seasons.

Although Guhle plays a big and nasty game, his skating is one of his most impressive assets. The defender’s 190 pound frame allows him to be extremely mobile on the ice, whether it be on the penalty kill or breaking out of his own end.

Guhle is no stranger to winning, as he was part of the 2018-19 Prince Albert Raiders squad that took home the WHL championship. Guhle will need to rely on his raw skating ability and previous championship experience to prove his worth as an 18-year-old in an Under-20 tournament.

Look for Guhle to punish Team Germany below the hashmarks, and make his mark as a bruising blue-liner for Team Canada.