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Kaiden Guhle

Canadiens Recall Logan Mailloux

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The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Logan Mailloux from AHL Laval, according to a team announcement. There’s an open spot on their 23-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary. The call-up does come after No. 1 defender Mike Matheson left last night’s loss to the Kings with an upper-body injury, however. Kaiden Guhle is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the team said later Friday.

Mailloux, 21, made his NHL debut in the final game of last season, posting an assist and a +1 rating with two shots on goal in over 21 minutes of action against the Red Wings. It came at the end of the right-shot defender’s first season in the pros, playing all 72 games for Laval. His 14 goals and 33 assists for 47 points led Rocket defensemen in scoring and earned him a place on the league’s All-Rookie Team.

The 6’3″ Ontario native spent his junior career with the OHL’s London Knights. While spending his draft year on loan to Sweden’s SK Lejon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was charged with defamation and criminal photography for “sending explicit pictures of a sexual act without the consent of his partner” (as written by CTV’s Daniel J. Rowe).

He was fined by the Swedish government and subsequently asked not to be selected in the 2021 draft but was selected by Montreal anyway with the 31st overall pick. He spent most of his post-draft year with OHL London out of the lineup, serving a suspension related to the charges, but had 53 points in 59 games the following season and led the league in goals from a defenseman with 25.

In regard to Matheson, the 30-year-old will be further evaluated today, the team said (via TSN). He had three assists and a -2 rating through Montreal’s first five games of the season. He’s coming off a 51-assist, 62-point campaign in 2023-24 that nearly doubled his previous career highs, cementing himself as a top-pairing threat offensively in the prime of his career with the Habs. He logged 25:33 per game last year, good enough for third in the league.

Mailloux will enter the lineup tomorrow against the Islanders if neither Matheson or Guhle can play.

Canadiens Reassign Three Players

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Oct. 7: The Habs returned Condotta, Gignac, and Trudeau to Laval last night, the team announced Monday morning.

Oct. 5: Several teams today have promoted players from the AHL in advance of their final preseason game tonight.  Montreal is the latest to do so as they’ve recalled forwards Brandon Gignac and Lucas Condotta along with defenseman William Trudeau from AHL Laval per the NHL’s Media Portal.

Gignac spent most of last season in the minors but saw his AHL contract converted to a two-year, two-way NHL deal in February.  He got into seven games with Montreal last season, scoring his first NHL goal.  Meanwhile, in Laval, he had 19 goals and 36 assists in 61 games.

Condotta, meanwhile, has now been recalled for the second time since clearing waivers less than a week ago.  The 26-year-old was held off the scoresheet in three appearances with the Canadiens last season while adding 19 points in 65 contests for the Rocket.  Condotta, a full-time forward, wound up taking some shifts as a defenseman last weekend when the Canadiens were down to just four available to them early in a preseason game against Toronto.

As for Trudeau, the 21-year-old has yet to see NHL action in his first two professional seasons.  Instead, he has played exclusively with Laval and put up eight goals and 16 assists in 70 games in 2023-24.

Meanwhile, the team revealed earlier today (Twitter link) that blueliner Kaiden Guhle will play his first preseason game after undergoing an appendectomy last month, causing him to miss their first five contests.

As for the other three, they will likely be returned to Laval before Monday’s deadline to submit season-opening cap-compliant rosters to the NHL.

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens-Senators, Guhle, Red Wings

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No supplemental discipline is expected after a flurry of controversial hits and injuries in last night’s Canadiens-Senators preseason tilt, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.

The fireworks started late in the first period when Ottawa forward Ridly Greig elevated his arms to lay a blindside hit on Montreal center Kirby Dach, receiving an interference minor and briefly knocking him out of the game. Dach would return, but that didn’t stop Habs defender Arber Xhekaj from charging Sens star Tim Stützle with a similar hit midway through the second period, earning himself an interference major and a game misconduct. He also received matching minors with Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk after the play. Neither Stützle nor Tkachuk returned to the contest with upper-body injuries, per the team.

Dach and Greig brawled during the third after the former returned to the game. Both players received fighting majors and 10-minute misconducts. Dach also received an extra minor for interference on the play. The Xhekaj hit on Stützle was likely most prone to a potential suspension. Still, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety believes the game misconduct assessed on the play was appropriate on its own.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Staying with Montreal, defenseman Kaiden Guhle is skating in a regular jersey at Wednesday’s practice, per Engels. It’s the first time he’s done so since having his appendix removed at the beginning of training camp. The 2020 16th overall pick signed a six-year, $33.3MM extension to remain a Canadien for the long haul in July, but he’ll still play out this season under the final year of his entry-level contract. The Edmonton native has quickly established himself as a top-four defender, averaging 20:51 per game last season and adding 22 points (6 G, 16 A) with a -8 rating in 70 contests.
  • Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde is “very impressed” with how forward prospects Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, and Carter Mazur have performed in training camp, he told The Athletic’s Max Bultman. “They’ve kind of played into my optimistic vision of them,” he added. “I like all three. I think I’ve stated that quite a bit over the last year, year and a half, and they’ve done nothing to disappoint.” The trio are still long shots to make the opening night roster with some crowded roster math working against them, but it’s clear they’ll be at the top of the list for in-season call-ups and should each get at least a few NHL reps this year.

East Notes: Luchanko, Panarin, Guhle

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Some thought the Flyers took too big a swing at this year’s draft when selecting center Jett Luchanko with the No. 13 overall pick. They’ve been impressed by the 18-year-old pivot so far in camp, though. Assistant coach Rocky Thompson told Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports on Thursday that Luchanko has “opened our eyes” as one of the biggest risers thus far.

Line rushes now still indicate it’s unlikely that Luchanko begins his post-draft season on the Flyers’ NHL roster. However, the well-rounded center prospect has perhaps accelerated his timeline to NHL minutes with a potential nine-game trial (or longer) in store for him in 2025-26. He’ll likely get one or two more games worth of preseason action before being returned to his junior team, the OHL’s Guelph Storm. He had a team-leading 74 points (20 G, 54 A) in 68 games last season with a -13 rating.

More notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Rangers star Artemi Panarin still carries a day-to-day designation with a lower-body injury and won’t play in Thursday’s game against the Bruins, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. But the high-flying winger did skate today and doesn’t project to miss much more time. He was hurt in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the Islanders, a game that also saw defenseman Ryan Lindgren sustain a longer-term upper-body injury that has his availability for the beginning of the regular season in doubt.
  • Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle skated Thursday morning for the first time since having his appendix removed on Sep. 18, the team said. He’s now listed as day-to-day and could see action over the course of Montreal’s four remaining preseason contests. There’s no indication he’ll still be hampered by the time their regular-season opener hits on Oct. 9 against the Maple Leafs.

Kaiden Guhle Signs Six-Year Extension With Canadiens

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The Canadiens have signed top-four defenseman Kaiden Guhle to a six-year, $33.3MM contract extension, per a team release. Guhle will cost $5.55MM against the salary cap starting in 2025-26 and will remain under contract through the 2030-31 season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA has the full breakdown of the deal:

2025-26: $2MM base salary, $5MM signing bonus
2026-27: $5.25MM base salary
2027-28: $6.55MM base salary
2028-29: $5MM base salary
2029-30: $5MM base salary, modified no-trade clause (five-team no-trade list)
2030-31: $4.5MM base salary, modified no-trade clause (five-team no-trade list)

It’s a hefty second contract for the 22-year-old, who was entering the final season of his entry-level deal. He’s the second young Hab to ink a long-term extension this month, joining 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, who signed an eight-year, $60.8MM deal immediately upon becoming eligible to extend on July 1. This isn’t a max-term extension for Guhle, but it is long enough to walk him to unrestricted free agency upon expiry in 2031, when he’ll be 29.

The deal provides some cost certainty for both the Canadiens and Guhle, whom they selected 16th overall in 2020. After a pair of post-draft seasons in juniors, Guhle jumped to the NHL in 2022, bypassing an assignment to AHL Laval. Leg and ankle injuries cost him nearly all of the back half of his rookie season, limiting him to 44 games overall in 2022-23.

But the Edmonton native showed he was on track to shoulder top-four minutes. He averaged 20:31 per game, providing decent offensive contributions with four goals, 14 assists and 18 points (0.41 PPG) despite not seeing significant power play time. Things were a bit of a struggle defensively as Guhle posted a -19 rating, 43.6 CF% and 40.2 xGF%, but that was to be expected for a rookie blue liner thrust into difficult usage on a rebuilding team. He did see usage on the Habs’ second penalty kill unit, primarily with Mike Matheson, averaging 2:07 per game shorthanded.

Last season, Guhle’s point totals took a step back, but his all-around game avoided a sophomore slump. His average time on ice increased by 20 seconds, and perhaps most importantly, he avoided any major injuries, playing in 70 of Montreal’s 82 games. He finished third among Canadiens defensemen in scoring with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists). He finished second on the team in blocks with 178, trailing only Matheson, his usual defense partner at even strength. That’s notable for the lefty, who’s been able to look comfortable on his off side in top-pairing duties with Matheson. Guhle’s possession metrics improved in 2023-24 across the board as well, despite seeing an uptick in defensive zone starts.

For the Canadiens, it’s a sizeable long-term investment in a player who projects to be a strong anchor piece of their top four on defense for years to come. He doesn’t have upside as a true No. 1 at this stage, but he isn’t being paid like one on this extension. $5.55MM is a comparable cap hit to what players like Brett Pesce and Matt Roy earned on the open market this summer, both good comparables for Guhle’s ceiling.

Considering his prime will come near the tail end of this deal when it costs a lower percentage of the salary cap, it seems like a smart choice early on. Becoming a UFA at 29 also permits Guhle to land a second big payday, either on a max-term extension or elsewhere on the open market.

Guhle will cost just $863K against the cap this season in the final year of his ELC.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Hockey Canada Releases 2024 World Championship Roster

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May 7: Celebrini and Fantilli have returned home from Czechia, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. The former will participate in tonight’s 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, while Fantilli’s reasons for departing are undisclosed. It’s unclear whether they’ve been removed from the roster entirely. In a corresponding transaction, the team added Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Lightning forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul to the roster.

May 3: Hockey Canada has released its roster of 22 players who will wear the maple leaf at the 2024 World Championship, which begins next week in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia. There are three open spots left to be filled throughout the tournament as more teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Much like the initial World Championship roster that USA Hockey released weeks back, it’s almost completely made up of NHL talent – a rarity for the top-level countries at this tournament recently. The return and promise of future best-on-best international tournaments in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics has players and front offices looking at this year’s Worlds as a tune-up and initial evaluation for those events.

In fact, the only non-NHL player on Canada’s tournament-opening roster will be in the league next season. That’s presumptive 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who continues his 2023-24 campaign after taking home the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player in his freshman season with Boston University. Their offense is highlighted and led by Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard and Kraken sniper Jared McCann, while Sabres defenders Bowen Byram and Owen Power highlight the back end. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington is expected to serve as the team’s starter.

The full roster is as follows:

F Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)
F Michael Bunting (Penguins)
F Macklin Celebrini (2024 draft-eligible)
F Dylan Cozens (Sabres)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Ridly Greig (Senators)
F Dylan Guenther (NHL Utah)
F Andrew Mangiapane (Flames)
F Jack McBain (NHL Utah)
F Jared McCann (Kraken)
F Dawson Mercer (Devils)
F Brandon Tanev (Kraken)

D Bowen Byram (Sabres)
D Kaiden Guhle (Canadiens)
D Jamie Oleksiak (Kraken)
D Colton Parayko (Blues)
D Owen Power (Sabres)
D Damon Severson (Blue Jackets)
D Olen Zellweger (Ducks)

G Jordan Binnington (Blues)
G Nico Daws (Devils)
G Joel Hofer (Blues)

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Guhle, Johansson, Fleury

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An early playoff exit would likely result in wide-sweeping coaching and front-office changes for the Maple Leafs, James Mirtle of The Athletic said on “The Leaf Report” Thursday. “If there’s another really disappointing first-round exit, they’re gonna want blood. And I don’t know if just firing the coach is enough. I think they’re gonna want more than that,” said Mirtle.

The appetite for playoff success in Toronto is at an all-time high. The team has played some of its best hockey down the stretch and won a playoff series in 2023 for the first time in 19 years. That first-round win over the Lightning was their first after a remarkable six straight first-round/qualifying-round losses, although they were quickly dispatched by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Panthers in five games in the second round.

A first-round exit in a likely rematch against the Panthers would likely result in the dismissal of head coach Sheldon Keefe, one of the longest-tenured bench bosses in the league now entering his fifth playoff run with the club. In terms of other executives that could get the axe, team president Brendan Shanahan has only one season left on his contract, according to Mirtle, and could be a candidate to be out of a job with new leadership in the Maple Leafs’ ownership group, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. After GM Brad Treliving was brought in only one summer ago, it seems unlikely he’d be relieved of his duties with such a small track record in the role for Toronto.

Other tidbits from the Atlantic Division:

  • Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle remains out tonight against the Islanders, Patrick Friolet of RDS said. The young defenseman skated this morning as he rehabs an upper-body injury but is sitting out of his fourth straight contest. Guhle, 22, sustained the injury minutes into a clash with the Lightning one week ago and hasn’t played since. He’s now missed five of Montreal’s last seven games, also missing a March 30 contest against the Hurricanes while serving a one-game suspension for slashing Flyers winger Travis Konecny from the Habs bench. The sophomore blue-liner remains in a top-four role, averaging nearly 21 minutes per game. He’s amassed 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 70 games, a lower points per game pace than last year, but has logged improved possession metrics with a 44.4 CF% and 45.9 xGF% at even strength.
  • Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson and defenseman Haydn Fleury still aren’t skating with the team and continue to be sidelined tonight against the Senators, per Chris Krenn of the team’s official site. Johansson hasn’t dressed in six straight due to a lower-body injury sustained outside of game action. He’s played sparingly behind starter Andrei Vasilevskiy after occupying the crease to begin the season with Vasy on the shelf, only making four starts since the beginning of February. The 28-year-old has made a career-high 24 starts and two relief appearances but has struggled despite his 12-7-5 record, logging a .890 SV% and 3.37 GAA while conceding 10.5 goals above average. Minor league call-up Matt Tomkins remains on the roster in his absence. Fleury, 27, hasn’t played since sustaining an undisclosed injury in a collision with referee Steve Kozari against the Penguins last Saturday that sent Kozari to the hospital. He’s logged 24 appearances for Tampa this season in a depth role, scoring five points with a +5 rating. With neither player on the ice for practice yet, they’re approaching doubtful territory for Game 1 of the playoffs.

Canadiens Recall Justin Barron, Announce Injury Updates

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The Canadiens will be without a pair of defensemen for their game tonight against Toronto.  The team announced (Twitter link) that Kaiden Guhle is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury while Arber Xhekaj is also out with an upper-body injury; he is undergoing further evaluation to determine how long he might be out.  In a corresponding move, blueliner Justin Barron was recalled from AHL Laval on an emergency basis which means he won’t count against their post-deadline four-recall limit.

Guhle, who was injured early in Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay, is once again playing a big role on Montreal’s back end this season.  Through 70 games, he has six goals and 16 assists along with 178 blocked shots and 141 hits.  The 22-year-old sophomore leads the Canadiens in blocks and sits second among their blueliners in ATOI, logging a little under 21 minutes a night.

As for Xhekaj, he broke camp with the Canadiens but was sent to Laval for seven weeks midseason before being recalled in late January where he has been a regular in the lineup since then.  The 23-year-old has three goals and seven assists along with 125 hits and a team-high 81 penalty minutes in 44 games with Montreal in just under 16 minutes a night while he added 11 points in 17 contests with the Rocket.

Barron, meanwhile, has split the season between the NHL and AHL.  He has played in 41 games with Montreal (a career-high) and has a dozen points to his credit while averaging a little less than 19 minutes per contest.  However, the 22-year-old has spent most of the second half of the year in the minors and hasn’t been as impactful as expected although he still has 11 points in 30 AHL contests.

Kaiden Guhle Receives One-Game Suspension

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The ruling is in for Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle.  After slashing Flyers winger Travis Konecny from the bench during their game yesterday, the Department of Player Safety announced (video link) that Guhle has received a one-game suspension.

The 22-year-old slashed Konecny in retaliation for a hit he threw on winger Juraj Slafkovsky seconds earlier in the dying seconds of the second period.  However, any contact with a player on the ice from the bench is prohibited.  In the ruling video, it’s noted that any contact that typically occurs from the bench can be handled with a penalty on the play or a fine.  However, Guhle’s actions rose above that, resulting in the one-game ban.

It’s the first supplementary discipline of any kind for Guhle who will forfeit just under $4.5K in salary based on his $863.3K AAV.  The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.  He will now miss their game against Carolina on Saturday which should allow Johnathan Kovacevic to return to the lineup.  Guhle will be eligible to return for Montreal’s contest versus Florida on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Notes: Guhle, Graves, Fast

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Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday for slashing Flyers winger Travis Konecny in Thursday night’s win. The 22-year-old sophomore slashed Konecny’s wrist from the bench in retaliation for a hit he’d just laid on Montreal winger Juraj Slafkovsky but did not draw a penalty on the play (video via RDS). Given the minimal severity of the incident, it likely won’t be a long absence for Guhle. Still, retaliatory plays plus being involved in on-ice action from the bench is normally a recipe for supplemental discipline. The 2020 first-round pick has neither been fined nor suspended over his two-year, 112-game NHL career. After missing nearly half his rookie season due to injuries, Guhle is back on track this season with six goals and 15 assists for 21 points in 68 games while logging over 21 minutes per outing. Johnathan Kovacevic remains on the roster as an extra defenseman and will draw into the lineup if Guhle misses time.

Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves sustained a concussion in last night’s win over the Blue Jackets, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today (via Rob Rossi of The Athletic). It’s unclear what play Graves was injured on, but he last skated with just over a minute left in the first period and did not return for the second. Pittsburgh thus rotated through five defenders for most of last night’s 3-2 victory, which kept their slim (2.9%, per MoneyPuck) playoff hopes alive. The Penguins haven’t issued a recovery timeline for Graves, although, given the nature of concussions, it’s feasible that he could be done for the regular season with 10 games remaining. If so, it ends a disappointing first season in Pittsburgh for the 28-year-old, who won himself a rather rich six-year, $27MM contract with limited trade protection from Penguins GM Kyle Dubas in free agency last July. He’s slowly fallen out of favor with head coach Mike Sullivan throughout the season, averaging 18:23 per game, the lowest since his 26-game rookie showing in 2018-19 with the Avalanche. He logged three goals and 14 points in 70 games, finishing in the middle of the pack among Penguins skaters in most advanced metrics.
  • Hurricanes winger Jesper Fast will likely return tomorrow against the Canadiens, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. He’s missed Carolina’s last five games and hasn’t played since March 19 with an undisclosed injury. If he’s not quite ready to go, he’ll re-enter the lineup against the Bruins next Thursday, per Brind’Amour. The 32-year-old Swede has six goals and 18 points in 66 games for the Canes after signing a two-year, $4.8MM extension to remain in Raleigh last summer.

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