Alex Vlasic’s contract: Kaiden Guhle would be a risk for the Habs

Last Thursday, the Chicago Blackhawks settled a big deal on their summer roster: the club reached an agreement with defenseman Alex Vlasic, who signed a six-year contract that will pay him $4.6 million per year.

All in all, it’s not a bad deal for a young defenseman who’s likely to be in Chicago’s top-4 for years to come.

That said, in Montreal, Alex Vlasic’s Marc-Édouard contract has been the talk of the town for a reason: he’s not a bad match for Kaiden Guhle, who could also sign long-term this summer.

Guhle has one year left on his contract, but the Habs would like to settle the matter this summer.

And in the most recent episode of The Basu & Godin Notebook, Arpon Basu and Marc-Antoine Godin discussed the matter before coming to the following conclusion: the contract will probably be used as a comparison, but Guhle may well get more money (not least because of his status in Montreal).

The guys talked about the idea of a seven-year pact at $6 million a year.

Our colleagues at HabsolumentFan also had a word to say.

When you watch Guhle play, you quickly see that he’s a defender who’s likely to be a big part of Montreal’s future. He’s a responsible guy who plays big minutes, and what’s more, he can do it on his bad side if need be.

And considering that right-handed defensemen aren’t commonplace with the Habs, that’s a nice luxury.

That said, if we start talking about $6 million a year for Guhle, we have to consider the risk aspect that comes with it. After all, Guhle may be a very solid defender, but he’s also a guy who’s had his share of injuries in the past.

And with his somewhat limited offensive ceiling, these are two factors working against him.

Again, all this doesn’t change the fact that Guhle is an excellent defender and has everything it takes to be an important part of the Habs’ defensive brigade in the long term. That said, there are still some small signs that, at $6 million a year for seven years, this would be a risky contract for Guhle.

There’s a world in which he’ll give the Habs a run for their money with such a pact… but there’s also a world in which the Habs will feel they perhaps should have been a little more patient before signing him.

In gusto

– Speaking of Guhle.