The 2026–2027 season… will this finally be Kaiden Guhle’s breakout year?

Marc-Olivier Cook
The 2026–2027 season… will this finally be Kaiden Guhle’s breakout year?
Credit: Capture d'écran : Twitter

We all know what the problem is with Kaiden Guhle.

When he's healthy, he's a really good hockey player. The defenseman can match up against anyone on the ice, which makes him a formidable opponent to face.

But… the key word in that last sentence is “health.” And that's the problem.

Guhle has just finished his fourth full season in the NHL (yes, already), and he's never played more than 70 games in a single season. He's missed quite a few games in recent years:

  • 44 games played in '22–'23
  • 70 games played in '23–'24
  • 55 games played in '24–'25
  • 39 games played in '25–'26

As a result, we haven't yet seen him reach his full potential. I'll say it again: Kaiden Guhle is a very good hockey player when he's healthy.

But he'd be a better defenseman today if he hadn't missed 120 games (!) over four years. 

Obviously, Guhle's goal for the '26–'27 season will be to play as many games as possible.

And ideally, we'd all like to see him play a full season. He's important to the Canadiens, and without him, there's a significant hole in the Montreal team's defensive corps.

But I find it hard to believe that's possible, given that we've never seen him do that before…

Next season has to be the one for Kaiden Guhle. He'll be entering his fifth year in the National Hockey League, and he'll also be celebrating his 25th birthday next January.

The time has come for him to send a message to the rest of the National Hockey League. But everything will depend on his health as the season progresses… and that's what's most concerning when it comes to this defenseman.


In a Nutshell

– Impressive list.

– Minor league signing with the Islanders.

– It's not over yet, though.

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