The Canadiens’ young players are learning the hard way this season, but there are still some who stand out in the NHL, including three rookies patrolling the Montreal blue line.
Among first-year defensemen on the Bettman circuit, Kaiden Guhle quietly climbed to second in the league in assists with 11.
His most recent contribution didn’t happen by chance on Saturday, as the Albertan did all the work on Nick Suzuki’s 15th goal.
Suzuki Scores 1st in 6 Games (December 17, 2022) –
The CH’s 2021 first-round pick shares second place in this chapter with Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators, behind Calen Addison of the Minnesota Wild.
He picked up two more.
Still on defense, Jordan Harris ranks fifth among rookies with nine assists in 27 outings. Owen Power of the Buffalo Sabers leads him with 10.
Photo credit: AFP
Elsewhere, Guhle and Harris rank in the top five for average usage per game: the former is third with an average of 20:31, while his teammate completes the top 5 with his 18:18. .
When it comes to defensive play, these two young guards are in the top 3 with 54 (Guhle) and 43 (Harris, tied with Dylan Samberg) blocked shots.
Xhekaj at the top
Another CH fullback stands out among the rookies in his position, this time in the goals column.
Surprisingly, even though Arber Xhekaj hasn’t shaken the ropes since Dec. 3, the rugged Ontarian’s four goals represent an NHL high in this category of player.
What if we told you that the Zach Kassian striker is first in two other categories among first-year defensemen, would you believe us?
Xhekaj envoie walser Foudy –
It is indeed the case: his 90 shoulder shots give him the first rank with Jack McBain, of Arizona. He is preceded by Guhle, who imposed 62 (fifth among rookies, all positions combined).
In addition, the former employee of the Costco chain reigns for the minutes of penalties with a total of 63. His five major penalties – also a peak – have something to do with it…
Finally, a word to tell you that among forwards in their infancy in the NHL, Juraj Slafkovsky ranks ninth in goals with four. The Slovak has dropped in the scorers’ rankings, since he has not threaded the needle since December 1.
