Overview
- Guhle, who underwent minor adductor surgery Wednesday, is expected to be out four to five weeks according to a team medical update.
- That recovery window will likely rule him out of training camp, the preseason and the first two to three weeks of the regular season.
- His absence creates an opportunity for depth defensemen such as Arber Xhekaj to take a larger early-season role and may alter pairings that projected him with Alexandre Carrier.
- Guhle missed large chunks of last season with adductor issues and appeared in only 39 regular-season games, which raises durability concerns as he begins year two of a six-year, $33.3 million contract.
- Montreal used Guhle heavily in the playoffs, where he had eight assists in 19 games, so his early unavailability could affect the team’s defensive minutes, puck transition and conditioning ramp for a young, contending roster.