Montreal Canadiens prospect Kaiden Guhle was a midseason pickup of the powerhouse Edmonton Oil Kings.
He was brought in to play on the team’s top defence pairing, the power play and to be a pillar of strength of the penalty kill as well. The big, two-way defender delivered for the Oil Kings with a great regular season, but was injured with about a month left to play in the regular season.
His first game back was Game 1 of the postseason and he gave the impression he didn’t miss a beat.
The Oil Kings were big favourites in their first round series with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and they did not stumble at all. They completed a first round sweep and will now wait for the other series to be completed before they learn who their next opponent will be.
Whoever it is will be an underdog as they take on Guhle and the Oil Kings. Edmonton finished the regular season with a 50-14-4 record which put them second in the Eastern Conference just behind the Winnipeg Ice.
Though Guhle missed some time leading up to the postseason, he was able to step right back into his regular role (which means he did absolutely everything). The Habs first round pick from the 2020 NHL Draft put up five points in four games which tied for the most on his team in the opening round series.
Guhle put up five goals and 25 points in 25 games for the Oil Kings after his midseason trade. He also had 15 points in 17 games for the Prince Albert Raiders to begin the season. That’s 40 points in 42 games for a guy way better known for the defensive side of his game than his scoring.
That is probably because he is 6’2″ and over 200 pounds and brings a physical element to the ice.
He will continue to face tougher competition as the playoffs go along but the 19 year old is certainly up to the task. The Oil Kings are one of the best Junior teams in Canada and should stay alive in the playoffs for a few more series with Guhle doing it all for them on the back end.
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