After some speculation ahead of the first day of the 2020 NHL Draft that the Montreal Canadiens were considering trading their first-round pick, Marc Bergevin decided to hold onto it instead and add another defence prospect to his system. The selection was Kaiden Guhle, a defenceman from the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders who was generally regarded as the third-best blue-liner in the draft.
It was a strong defensive game that earned him that placement. Outside of Jake Sanderson (who was chosen fifth overall by the Ottawa Senators), he was seen as one of the top defensive defenceman in the class.