The Canadiens started the season with four rookies in their defensive lineup and didn’t expect to be a defensive powerhouse.

Still, the group’s overall performance surprised many and we have to admit that some recruits far exceeded expectations. In fact, as of October 10, the Habs had a roster with an average age of 26.2. A number influenced by this so-called defensive, which alone had an average of 25.7 years.

Among the impressive is Kaiden Guhle, who stars in a first pairing role with David Savard, fresh from his junior internship with the Edmonton Oil Kings. One thing is certain, the number 21 of the blue-white-red belongs to the National Hockey League. But does the CH defender have too much on his shoulders?

Renaud Lavoie is convinced of that. “[Guhle] not only finished two seasons in the American League, he just finished his junior internship. Being with the first pair is a bit too much for him. He plays 22-23 minutes per game. I would be more comfortable with 17-18 minutes, to which we would add time for the power play,” adds the whistleblower.

In fact, at 28, the rookie defenseman is the NHL’s first in turnovers among guards. In fact, there is only one skater on Bettman circuit who has committed more, David Pastrnak at 29. The second defender in the category is Erik Karlsson with 23 turnovers.

“Kaiden Guhle is a player who demands a lot from his body. We saw it against Detroit. He injured his shoulder, he quit and then got back into the game. He’s a warrior, a real one, but he has to be careful not to want too much,” explains Renaud.

With the return of Mike Matheson in the next few matches, it will be necessary to review the chess board in defense at the Canadians. It is very likely that one of the youngsters (Guhle, Harris, Kovacevic and Xhekaj) will suffer the return of the one acquired in exchange for Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling this summer.

A surprising duo

If the Canadian organization relied solely on advanced stats, it wouldn’t be Jordan Harris or Johnathan Kovacevic giving up their place in the lineup. In fact, the duo are eighth in the entire league for the number of goals scored when the tandem is on the ice, with 14 goals scored compared to 9 conceded.

For comparison: The Guhle-Savard duo was excellent on the ice with 12 goals for the Habs, but also with 20 goals for the opponent. For their part, Joel Edmundsson and Arber Xhekaj have had a three-goal margin between zero and zero since their reunion.

In practice on Friday morning, Arber Xhekaj was the seventh defender. Matheson had taken his place next to Edmundsson. If this duo became a reality against the Flyers on Saturday night, it could ease the workload that’s on Guhle and Savard’s shoulders.

Renaud Lavoie also commented on Nick Suzuki’s brilliant start to the season. You can see his entire appearance on JiC on Friday night in the video at the top of the article.