Kaiden Guhle's biggest gains this season came in part from one of his bigger losses last season.
The 18-year-old left-shot defenseman for Prince Albert of the Western Hockey League had 40 points (11 goals, 29 assists) in 64 games, a significant jump from 2018-19 when he had 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 65 games. He helped Prince Albert win the WHL championship and reach the Memorial Cup, but the Raiders lost all three games and Guhle didn't have a point.
"The Memorial Cup was definitely a high-pressure situation," he said. "Really rare for a 16-year-old to even end up going to the Memorial Cup. I know PA had the most when we were there. I felt like I did all right. It was also nice to have those two other guys (forwards Ozzy Wiesblatt and Jakob Brook) to kind of talk to about it, and the coaches were also there for us whenever we needed someone to talk to about the pressure and everything that goes along with it. So it was good."
Guhle used the experience as motivation and Prince Albert general manager Curtis Hunt said he saw a more mature, well-rounded player return for training camp.
"The summer is an amazing thing for these kids, how they grow and mature," Hunt said. "I don't think you could say there was any one moment. I think of his path and his journey that he's created for himself by his determination, his work ethic, his drive. He's very focused."
Guhle is No. 8 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters and the third-ranked defenseman behind Jamie Drysdale of Erie in the Ontario Hockey League and Jake Sanderson of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
"Top-pair defenseman, all situations, incredible combination of size (6-foot-2, 186 pounds), strength and skating ability," Central Scouting's Peter Sullivan said. "An excellent two-way game. He's really quick in his own end for a transition game and he's got both sides to his game. If you want to play an offensive-type game, it's there. If you want to play a physical-type game, it's there, which is what you want from your defensemen."
Guhle said he believes it's his skating, a strength even before Prince Albert selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 WHL draft, that has allowed him to develop his well-rounded skill set.