The Montreal Canadiens Kaiden Guhle injury is certainly an unfortunate one. But at the same time, it could open an opportunity for one of the organization's top prospects.
Guhle will be out for the next few weeks, Montreal announced earlier this month. But that situation could very well open the door for David Reinbacher to jump into the lineup and show what he can do. Thus far, the Habs are giving the 21-year-old a chance to prove he can handle the NHL.
As a matter of fact, the David Reinbacher-Lane Hutson pairing almost looks too perfect to be true.
The duo was in the lineup on Monday night against the Ottawa Senators in the Kraft Hockeyville matchup.
And if there were any questions about the former fifth-overall pick missing a beat, they were quickly silenced.
Moving forward, the Kaiden Guhle injury would not be nearly as devastating for the team. The Canadiens have Reinbacher to step up and fill in for the injured blueliner. The issues, however, will be once Guhle is ready to return.
And depending on how Reinbacher is playing, it could lead to a very tough decision for Martin St. Louis .
Regardless of how well Reinbacher plays, the Canadiens have a fairly straightforward roster decision once Guhle is healthy.
Reinbacher can be sent to the AHL without being exposed to waivers, giving Montreal an easy way to temporarily clear the roster spot. That makes the Kaiden Guhle injury an opportunity rather than an immediate long-term change to the team's defensive hierarchy.
But that doesn't mean Reinbacher's NHL audition would be wasted.
Quite the opposite.
If the 21-year-old performs well enough to convince the Canadiens that he belongs, it becomes much harder to keep him in Laval for an extended period. A strong showing could make him the first call whenever Montreal needs another defenseman.
That's exactly what the Canadiens need from Reinbacher right now.
He doesn't necessarily have to permanently replace Guhle.
He just has to prove that Montreal has another NHL-caliber defenseman waiting in the wings.
And if that happens, the organization could eventually have a much more difficult decision to make.
The Kaiden Guhle injury could ultimately make the defenseman more expendable than anyone expected.
That's not because Guhle suddenly became a bad player. At 24, he remains young enough to fit comfortably into Montreal's long-term plans. He also carries a manageable $5.55 million cap hit through the 2030-31 season.
That contract could actually make him attractive to another team.
If Reinbacher establishes himself as a legitimate NHL option, the Canadiens could have an interesting choice. They could keep Guhle and create a crowded blue line, or they could use his value to address another weakness while opening additional cap flexibility.
There would certainly be questions about Guhle's durability. He played only 39 games last season and is now expected to miss the opening portion of this season after undergoing surgery.
But that doesn't mean teams would ignore him.
A young, physical defenseman with a long-term contract at $5.55 million could still attract plenty of interest if Montreal decides to explore the market.
And if Reinbacher proves ready, the Canadiens may have to consider it.
The Kaiden Guhle injury could have created a problem.
It may also have given Montreal the answer to a much bigger question.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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