Incredible Steal: the Montreal Canadiens Managed to Draft the Third Best Player in the 2020 Draft Despite Only Picking Sixteenth, Per Experts
The 2020 NHL Draft was indeed unique, taking place virtually via video conference rather than in-person at the Bell Centre, and it garnered significant attention in Quebec. The spotlight was on Quebecois player Alexis Lafrenière, who was expected to be the first overall pick.
The Montreal Canadiens, selecting 16th, chose the Albertan defenseman Kaiden Guhle. Comparisons between Guhle and then-Canadiens captain Shea Weber were quickly drawn. Marc Habscheid, Guhle's coach with the Prince Albert Raiders, commented on their similarities:
Guhle has impressively handled the high expectations. Three years later, he has become a key part of the Canadiens' defense, and his performance has led many to question how he was available at the 16th pick.
Journalist Mathias Brunet, during a segment on BPM Sports, suggested that if the 2020 draft were redone, he would select Guhle third overall. Brunet's revised top-7 of the 2020 draft would be:
1. Tim Stutzle
2. Jake Sanderson
3. Kaiden Guhle
4. Quinton Byfield
5. Cole Perfetti
6. Lucas Raymond
7. Alexis Lafrenière
Brunet emphasizes the importance of the defenseman and center positions, preferring to select quality players in these roles over wingers early in the draft.
Guhle's career average ice time per game has been impressive (20:48 overall, 20:30 in 2022-2023, and 21:17 in 2023-2024), ranking second on the team this season behind Mike Matheson (25:17). He recorded 18 points in 44 games last season and 8 in 25 games this campaign.
While Guhle's offensive contribution is still developing, Brunet, like others, believes it will come in time. At just 21 years old and with 69 NHL games under his belt, the excitement is palpable to see him reach his peak in the next 3-4 years.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 17 | 695 ANSWERS Incredible Steal: the Montreal Canadiens Managed to Draft the Third Best Player in the 2020 Draft Despite Only Picking Sixteenth, Per Experts Would you trade Kaiden Guhle for Alexis Lafreniere? | ||
| Yes | 161 | 23.2 % |
| No | 534 | 76.8 % |
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