Though it may get lost in the shuffle as the league deals with COVID-19 outbreaks, the Anaheim Ducks had some unfortunate news of their own today. Brendan Guhle has been ruled out for the next six weeks with a sprained MCL, essentially ending the training camp battle he was in for a roster spot.
The 23-year-old Guhle came to Anaheim in a trade nearly two years ago that saw Brandon Montour go to the Buffalo Sabres. Splitting time between the NHL and AHL, he performed adequately and looked to have an inside track on a roster spot (even if it was perhaps as the seventh defenseman) this season. The Ducks even put Christian Djoos on waivers today, indicating that he’ll likely start on the taxi squad or in the AHL.
Now, Guhle faces a tough rehab and the idea of overtaking a teammate mid-season if he wants to secure playing time. Six weeks puts him back on the ice deep into February, when a good chunk of the season has already passed. That’s a tough break in an already shortened schedule and could very well mean that Guhle will not eclipse the career-high of 30 games played he set last season.