Kaiden Guhle will be an important piece of the Montreal Canadiens for at least the next six years. He signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension before the start of the season, which could be a bargain if the salary cap continues to rise. However, there is some injury uncertainty surrounding Guhle, which to this point seems like just a massive dose of bad luck instead of labelling him as a band-aid. Look no further than this year's injury, where he fell on his own skate blade and cut his quad muscle.
Some speculated whether Guhle would be done for the season when he suffered that gruesome injury. It's safe to assume he could be planning a return after seeing him skating for the past week, which included a return to the team's optional skate on Tuesday morning before the Ottawa Senators matchup. The Canadiens' rise to the second wild card position opens an interesting question of whether we will see Guhle at some point again this year.
Arber Xhekaj est bien heureux de voir Kaiden Guhle sur la patinoire du Centre Bell ce matin... Et avait un petit clin d'oeil pour Michael Pezzetta ;) pic.twitter.com/tj1JyAaQJg
— RDS (@RDSca) March 18, 2025
Guhle might not return before the playoffs begin, although it'd be smart to get him into the lineup for a couple of games before he has to get up to playoff pace. It wouldn't be wise to rush him back from this injury, as it's the same type of ailment that led to Gabriel Landeskog being out of the Colorado Avalanche's lineup for the past three seasons. Montreal has to worry about the long-term for Guhle, but being back on the ice is a great sign.
What will the Canadiens get from Guhle when he eventually returns? Let head coach Martin St. Louis tell us from an interview after the injury.
"Where are we going to feel 'Guhls?' I think all over," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. "He plays a lot of minutes 5-on-5, he kills penalties. I don't think it's one specific (area) but his presence is going to be felt, that he's not here, but it's not one guy that's going to replace him."
St. Louis hopes he can start penciling Guhle into his lineup once the playoffs begin. It'd push some other players down the lineup and get them back to their regular roles. The Canadiens are a better team with Guhle in the lineup, and that could be coming sooner than some expected.