The Montreal Canadiens have officially signed defenseman Kaiden Guhle to a six-year contract extension, worth an average annual value of $5.55 million, the team announced on Wednesday.
Guhle is set to enter the final year of his entry-level contract before the extension becomes effective for the 2025-26 season. According to PuckPedia, the new deal includes a five-team no-trade list during the final two years.
“I believe in the group that we have,” Guhle told reporters after signing, as reported by NHL.com. “I love the city. The city’s been nothing but great to me. The fans have been unbelievable. They’re definitely the best fans in the league – if not in sports. So, it’s just the city and the guys (that prompted me to stay). I believe in this group so much, and I think we’ll (be) able to make a big splash in the next year or two and really start to make a push for it.”
Last season, the 22-year-old Guhle recorded six goals and 16 assists in 70 games with the Canadiens. He averaged 20:51 minutes of ice time per game, the second-highest among the team’s regular defensemen, while contributing 116 hits and 178 blocks.
Listed at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 205 pounds, Guhle posted strong underlying statistics in the 2023-24 season, despite facing tough matchups while paired with veteran defenseman Mike Matheson.
The Canadiens selected Guhle 16th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He is expected to play a pivotal role among a promising group of young defensemen in Montreal’s system, which includes David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson.
Guhle, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, has also represented Canada at the international level, participating in the 2021 World Junior Championship and the 2024 World Championship.
