Guhle signed his contract because he truly believes in the Habs’ potential

Although he only played 114 games in the National League, Kaiden Guhle was lucky enough to sign a lucrative contract.

The six-year deal will pay him an average of $5.5 million per season… which is good for a 22-year-old.

But the Canadiens offered him this contract for a reason. Guhle deserved it because, since his NHL debut, he has demonstrated that he has what it takes to be one of the league’s top defensemen for the next five, if not ten, years.

We know that Guhle’s clan was looking to sign a contract similar to that of Jake Sanderson, who signed an eight-year deal in Ottawa valued at $64.4 million ($8.05 million per season).

That said, the defenseman accepted the terms of a six-year contract at a lower salary, and he explained why he made that decision today, answering questions from reporters.

It’s simple: Guhle believes in the current group, he feels the club has a chance of going all the way in the next few years, and he wanted to make sure he could stay in Montreal for the long term with his chums.

You can really sense in his words that his team-mates are important to him, as he spoke of them several times during his mini press briefing:

Kaiden Guhle addresses the media via Zoom to discuss his six-season contract extension

Kaiden Guhle is addressing the media via Zoom to discuss his six-year contract extension#GoHabsGo https://t.co/jV4dWp3xzd

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) July 31, 2024

It’s easy to understand.

Young players are growing up together in the NHL, and we know what a great camaraderie there is in the dressing room.

The guys love each other, they want to play for each other, and above all they want to win together.

It’s all part of the new culture that’s been established since the arrival of the new management team, and it’s really great to see.

It’s also where you realize that the group is really close-knit. The youngsters like to get together, they like to play for Martin St-Louis, and that’s why they’re all excited about the next few years.

Guhle also told reporters that he’s feeling very good at the moment. He feels ready for the next campaign and doesn’t want to think about injuries, even though they are a fact of life in sport.

That said, knowing he’s in top form is comforting news when you consider his injury history.

Kaiden Guhle will be entering his third season in the National League, and it’s often at this point that we see youngsters take off.

Will this be the defenseman’s year? At least, if he performs as well as he did in 23-24 and is able to stay healthy, he’ll make further progress, and there’s no doubt about that.