Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle done for season with ankle injury

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that rookie defenseman Kaiden Guhle is done for the season with a high-ankle sprain.

Guhle last played on Thursday, recording an assist and logging 18:13 of ice time in a 9-5 loss to the Florida Panthers. Guhle was kept out of action for Montreal’s two games against Tampa Bay on Saturday and Tuesday.

Guhle finished his rookie season with four goals and 18 points in 44 games. Away from the scoresheet, Guhle also had 84 hits and 77 blocked shots, which proved to make him a valuable threat in his own zone despite playing on one of the weakest teams in the league.

The 21-year-old spent the entire season in the NHL after splitting last year between Prince Albert and Edmonton of the WHL. Guhle also dealt with an upper-body injury earlier this month and another two months with a lower-body injury to kick off January.

Montreal currently have seven defensemen on injured reserve, with Cole Caufield and Arber Xhekaj already done for the season. Carey Price is not expected to play in the NHL again, while Paul Byron also hasn’t played this season.

The Canadiens sit 28th in the NHL with a 28-37-6 record with 62 points. They’re deep in the fight for Connor Bedard at the NHL Draft, with Columbus currently having the best odds with a league-worst 51 points.