In the run-up to the draft, which is scheduled for Friday night and Saturday, there are plenty of draft-centric articles in every outlet and plenty of content posted on social media as well. Yesterday, on one of the NHL social media accounts, there was a post about a 2020 redraft, and the Canadiens’ pick that year did very well.
In 2020, the Montreal Canadiens had the 16th overall pick, and they selected blueliner Kaiden Guhle. Now, five years later, they’ve locked Guhle up to a six-year contract with a $5.55 AAV. He’s the only defenseman Kent Hughes has identified as part of his young core so far, or at least the only one he has signed long term. There is no doubt that the Canadiens’ GM will try to sign Lane Hutson long term, and there are also rumblings about a potential contract extension for Mike Matheson.
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In 169 NHL games, Guhle has put up 58 points and 130 penalty minutes, but the defensive side of his game has made a difference for the Habs. This season, in 55 games, he has recorded 104 hits for a 1.89 hits-per-game average (seventh on the team) and blocked 124 shots for a 2.25 hits-per-game average (third on the team). If he played a full season, he would have been much higher.
In it’s redraft, the NHL puts Tim Stutzle as the first overall pick (he was initially picked third), Lucas Raymond as the second (fourth at the draft), Jake Sanderson as the third (fifth overall in 2020), Seth Jarvis in fourth (selected initially at number 13), Brock Faber in fifth place (he was picked at 45th), Quinton Byfield in sixth place (he was initially second), Anton Lundell in seventh place (picked 12th overall), Alexis Lafreniere in eight place (original first-overall pick), JJ Peterka in ninth place (selected initially 34th overall), and Kaiden Guhle in 10th place (he was originally selected at 16th overall).
Kaiden Guhle going from 16th overall to 10th overall in the NHL 2020 redraft #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/66kIXxw08G
— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) June 24, 2025
Guhle’s selection that year was a homerun for the Canadiens, but the fact that some of these guys fell in the second round goes to show how hard it is to evaluate young talents and project yourself into the future.
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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