Kaiden Guhle is disappointed at the departure of Joel Edmundson and surprised at the return of Jeff Petry. Personally everything is going well..
This emerges from a press conference by the Montreal Canadiens defenseman at the Videotron Center in Quebec, which he attended along with teammates David Savard, Jordan Harris, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Samuel Montembeault a friendly against Boston Bruins playersincluding Brad Marchand, on Thursday’s resignation of Quebecer Patrice Bergeron. See it in the video above.
After being limited to 44 games last season and missing the last 11 games, Guhle says he’s at 100% now. The 21-year-old defender has fully recovered from the sprained ankle he sustained in March.
“I’m feeling good. I’m 100%. I’m looking forward to getting back into the game. It’s nice to be back on the ice at full throttle. Injuries are boring but it’s part of the game. I hope to be in can play all 82 games next season.
Guhle is thrilled to have made the decision to stay in Montreal this summer.
“My summer is going really well. I was able to discover the city even more. It becomes more difficult during the season with the many games. I’m glad I stayed in Montreal this summer,” said the man who is visiting Quebec for the first time. He quickly accepted Savard’s invitation.
“When David asked me if I wanted to come along, it was clear (‘a no-brainer’) that I would accept. I am happy to be here.”
Assistant trainer Stephane Robidas was also present for this special occasion and praised Guhle very much.
“He takes his summer very seriously. He makes the effort. It doesn’t really worry me. We want him to stay himself and continue to develop and improve.
“He has to be himself. He has to play to his strengths. He’s an excellent player. He was put in extremely difficult situations last year.
“We will miss him”
Elsewhere, Guhle admitted he will miss Edmundson both as a player and as a man.
“’Eddy’ was a solid defender and a good player for us. He helped young defenders like me a lot. He was a leader for us. We will miss his presence in the dressing room. He was always funny and he was our DJ in the dressing room. We will miss him. I wish him all the best in Washington. I’m sure other players will show leadership.
“If Edmundson is out, all defenders have to improve, including young players like me. But we are ready to face this challenge.”
Guhle is aware that the arrival of Petry will create some internal competition with the blue line if the veteran does indeed start the season in the tricolor.
“I didn’t expect that, but I’m happy to have him back with us. We’ll see what will happen. I try not to think about it too much. He is with us at the moment and we are lucky to have him.
Harris shares the same mindset as Guhle.
“I want to improve every day. I had a nice summer, I feel really good. I am healthy. I’ve been skating for two months, I no longer feel pain on the ice. I’m looking forward to the season.”
See all the press releases from the players who took part in the game honoring Patrice Bergeron here: