Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images
Basic Player Overview:
2019/20 Team: Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Position: Defence
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 187 lbs.
Handedness: Left
Introduction:
Kaiden Guhle was the go-to defenseman for the Prince Albert Raiders team in the 2019/20 season. He was their rock on the back-end, constantly being relied upon to shut down the top players of opposing teams. His ability to dominate in his own zone, combined with his consistently strong transitional play, was a major reason why Prince Albert finished top of the East Division. The Raiders finished the pandemic-shortened season with a 36-18-6-4 record, placing them 7th in the WHL. Guhle had the 6th most points on his team, with 40 (11-29-40). However, he led all Raiders defenseman in points, the second-highest scoring defenseman notched 23 points. Guhle is simply a fun player to watch. He plays an old school style of game, using his big frame and excellent gap control to punish opponents that attempt to enter his zone.
Physicality:
Let’s get right to the juicy stuff: Guhle can toss his weight around like an Italian chef tosses pizza dough in the air. The timing is perfect, his movements are precise, and sometimes it gets a little messy, but the results leave you salivating. He is always looking to use his body to knock opponents off of the puck, but not in a one-dimensional fashion. His strength and balance on his skates allow him to be a dominant force in all areas of the ice.
I’m going to cut myself off with the gif montage on Guhle’s physical gifts as I think it is quite evident that Guhle is a force to be reckoned with.
Skating:
It is common for big players to struggle to keep up with their opponents, however, this is not an issue for Guhle. He is a very good skater, especially for his size. He is excellent on his edges and cross-overs, which he uses well to keep himself in position. His back-skating and lateral movement are also quite impressive. His top end speed, acceleration, as well as his explosiveness with his first two steps could be improved. Guhle combines his skating strengths with smart defensive IQ to make him one of the best shut down defenders in his draft class.
Hockey IQ:
Guhle has plenty of physical gifts that allow him to be a special player, however, none of these gifts mean anything if he doesn’t have the hockey IQ to utilize them. Luckily, Guhle is a very intelligent defensive hockey player. He has an incredible ability to identify the proper moments to attack physically, while consistently maintaining position. He has poise with the puck, able to handle pressured moments, and make the smart play. Guhle sees the ice very well and makes accurate stretch passes out of the zone frequently. Defensively, he is extremely smart, rarely being beaten by oncoming forwards. He stays very well positioned on the penalty kill and uses his impressive reach to break up passes.
Offensively, Guhle often looks like a much different player, and his hockey sense comes into question. He more often than not opts to shoot the puck at the net, rather than make a pass to his open teammate. There is nothing wrong with getting pucks on net, but low danger shots from the point shouldn’t be a go-to move in the offensive zone. On the powerplay, Guhle is able to dish the puck to his teammates who then create higher-quality scoring chances, but his passes are rarely very dangerous. He does a great job holding the line on the powerplay and keeping the offense going.
Shooting:
Guhle led his Raider’s defense with 143 shots on goal this season. He doesn’t hesitate to throw the puck on net, particularly if there is traffic in front, but his shot is not overly dangerous. He has good enough accuracy to ensure most of his shots hit the net, but he isn’t one to snipe one in from the point often. He has a quick release, but doesn’t consistently put himself in situations to utilize it. He has a hard shot, and he tends to rifle a slap shot off from the point more often than a wrist shot. Guhle doesn’t project to be a defenseman that scores a lot of goals but can make things happen by getting pucks to the net.
Playmaking Ability:
In the offensive zone, Kaiden Guhle can make the smart simple passes to his teammates, but isn’t going to get overly creative with those passes. His passes are hard and accurate, but can be predictable, resulting in the occasional interception. His breakout passes out of his own zone are consistently on point, rarely getting picked off. He has the confidence under pressure to hold off if the pass there isn’t there and get into a position to make a smart pass up the ice. Playmaking isn’t always about making passes, Guhle uses his body to make plays. Making the most of his physical gifts, he knocks his opponents off the puck to create opportunities for his teammates. He often takes a shot intending for tips, deflections, and rebounds that create havoc and scoring opportunities in front of his opponent’s net.
Puck Skills:
Guhle isn’t a defenseman that will often try to dance his way through his opposition using dekes. He is more inclined to protect the puck with his body and skate it out of harm’s way until a safe pass is available. Under pressure, he is able to handle the puck seamlessly, rarely losing control as he skates out of trouble. On the powerplay, he is able to utilize his long reach to pick off pucks before they reach the blue line.
Advanced Stats:
Lets take a look at some of the microstats from Mitch Brown’s CHL tracking project. Guhle’s shooting stats show that he ranks very high. This is due to his ability to get pucks on the net when there is traffic in front of the goalie or teammates there for rebounds. He rarely throws pucks at the net when there is no second opportunity available. His shots per 60 are about where you would expect considering he is a defenseman that isn’t overly offensive. His passing stats look pretty grim, however, this is because he is not a dynamic passer in the offensive zone. He can make smart passes, but rarely are they resulting in a high danger scoring chance for his teammates. The stats on his entries don’t appear that impressive, as he isn’t usually the one taking the puck into the offensive zone. Guhle does most of his work in the defensive zone. He is able to turn the puck over and aid his team in exiting the zone. The data backs that up, demonstrating that Guhle is very effective pushing the puck out of his zone under pressure. His defensive stats are clear: Guhle is one of the best in his class at shutting down his opposition. His combination of long reach and the ability to stand up his opposition are extremely effective.
DY Environment:
Guhle spent the majority of the year getting the prime minutes for his Raiders squad. He manned their first unit power-play, as well as the penalty kill. Five of his 11 goals came on the powerplay, as well as 11 of his 29 assists. There was only one game where Guhle didn’t play over 20 minutes, however, there were two games where he played over 30 minutes.
DY Rankings:
#41 by Recruit Scouting
#14 by ISS Hockey
#21 by EliteProspects
#14 by McKeen’s Hockey
#28 by Future Considerations
#8 by NHL Central Scouting (NA players)
Expected Round of Selection:
Guhle is expected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
NHL Projection:
If Guhle reaches his ceiling, he could become a top-pairing defenseman, capable of shutting down the top lines of the opposing team. He probably won’t be a powerplay quarterback for his team’s first unit, but could help out on a second unit. He has a pretty safe floor for as well. His defensive game is a safe bet to translate to the NHL. I see a top-4 defenseman with top-pairing upside.
