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Who’s a top-pair D? | The Basu & Godin Notebook



On this episode of the Basu & Godin Notebook, the hit on Kaiden Guhle (0:00), Guhle’s impact on the blue line (5:30), do the Canadiens need a top-pair D? (12:00), Joel Armia and the other Masterton candidates (37:00), Gallagher could be Dustin Brown (50:50), AND Future Friday: the Trois-Rivières Lions (1:10:00)

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Recorded: April 5th, 2024

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16 Comments

  1. About Armia. Setting aside the acquired depiction we have of him being one of the most inconsistent player we’ve seen in Mtl, what are the odds and/or the details of his game over the last couple of months that make him a candidate for a veteran presence with the Habs, when his contract ends? Could he be offered a new deal? He looks to me like a player that can grow old with his skill set and be a valuable asset on a 3rd line, PK and even 2nd PP. Habs are not fat with F prospects. Your thoughts?

  2. Just food for thought but since the lockout, only CAR and PIT (that year without Letang) have won without a Norris winner or top 5 candidate.

  3. Very interesting observations about our D. Having 3 second line pairings sounds ideal, so on any given night, no matter the style, we'll have an answer.
    I disagree about the Guhle hit. I think a boarding penalty should have been called. (I know I'm biased because I don't like Kucherov and the Tampa Bay team in general, but had the reverse happened, Guhle on Kucherov, I feel that the refs definitely would have called it.)

  4. Guhle has more even strength points than Jake Sanderson in the NHL, while playing half a season fewer games. Everyone seems to think of Sanderson as a great offensive blueliner. If Guhle was given PP time, he'd be miles ahead of Sanderson.

  5. No mention of Adam Engstrom, but he's played like a first round talent in Sweden, since being drafted.

  6. Habs never won anything when they arguably had their greatest defense duo in Markov-Subban. Thinking the Habs can be successful with less than that level of talent on D seems illogical. Habs 2021 playoff ultimately failed in large part by not having a Dman who could produce offensively. Turtle defense can only get you so far. What that playoff did show is that the Habs certainly do need to have a 3rd pairing that can hold their own defensively and aren't a liability that requires double shifting and overworking their top 4 D. The idea of six "2nd pairing" D is unlikely to be successful and may also cause cap issues depending on how they're paid.

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