Canadiens sign first-round pick Kaiden Guhle to entry-level contract

Kaiden Guhle talks about being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 2020 NHL Draft.

The Montreal Canadiens have locked up an important piece of their future by agreeing to a three-year, entry-level contract with top prospect Kaiden Guhle.

Guhle will earn $832,500 with a signing bonus of $92,500 in each year of the contract that he plays in the NHL. The contract also contains Performance “A” bonuses worth a maximum of $420,000 per season. If Guhle plays in the AHL, he will earn a salary of $80,000.

The 18-year-old was the 16th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft earlier this month. The left-shot defenceman had 40 points in 64 games with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders last season.

“I think I’m a very physical, very good-skating two-way defenceman,” Guhle said in a Zoom press conference after being drafted by the Canadiens. “I like to be hard on other team’s best players. I like to make a good first pass, jump into the rush, use my skating to my advantage. Definitely like to be very physical on the ice. So I’d say a very good two-way defenceman, very physical, very good-skating player.”

Guhle, who is expected to return to the Raiders when the WHL season opens in January, joins a group of Canadiens blue line prospects that includes Alexander Romanov, Josh Brook, Mattias Norlinder, Jordan Harris and Jayden Struble.

October 20, 2020

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Kaiden Guhle
SIGNED BY
Montreal Canadiens
LENGTH
3 yrs
CONTRACT TYPE
Entry-Level Deal
SALARY CAP HIT
$925,000
TOTAL
$2.775 million

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