By Jeff D'Andrea

Another Guhle in the cards? Raiders prepare for draft

Apr 6, 2017 | 4:30 PM

It would almost make too much sense if the Prince Albert Raiders took Kaiden Guhle with the first overall selection in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft on May 4 in Calgary.

Guhle, of course, is the younger brother of former Raider defenceman Brendan Guhle—who played 201 career games with the Raiders from 2013-2016. The last time the Raiders had a draft choice in the top three, they drafted Brendan third overall in 2012.

But there’s a lot more to it than simply a brotherly connection — Kaiden Guhle can play hockey.

He was named as the 2016-17 CSSBHL Top Defenceman after leading his OHA Edmonton team in scoring with 17 goals and 40 points in 30 games played.

Guhle is the top ranked player in according to the DubNetwork. Western Elite Hockey Prospects predicted the Raiders will draft him and described Guhle in their January Top 22 rankings as this year’s “gem of the draft.”

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As much as the pick looks like a no-brainer from the surface, Raiders director of player personnel Ron Gunville downplayed the situation saying it was “not a slam dunk” that Guhle would follow his older brother’s footsteps to Prince Albert.

“I don’t want to tip my hat too much, but he’s one of the top defencemen in Western Canada,” Gunville said. “Him and a couple other guys are the top D-men. There’s also a group of two or three forwards that have separated themselves — Seth Jarvis out of Winnipeg and Connor McClennon from the Pursuit of Excellence, Ethan Bowen out of the Yale Academy. There’s a group of four or five guys that we’re looking at. It’s not a slam dunk that we’re for sure on Kaiden Guhle.”

The Raiders will be busy on draft day. Not only do they have the first overall selection, but they also have six picks in the first three rounds. They also will choose 17th overall, getting that pick from the Kelowna Rockets in the Reid Gardiner trade (there was an option to delay the first round selection until 2018, but the Raiders decided to use it this year). The Raiders also have a pair of picks in the second and third rounds, as well.

“You’re always hoping for good players with those picks,” Gunville said. “Our high picks, we should be able to add three or four impact players to maybe play at 16, for sure at 17, right off the hop.

“It also gives us options maybe to move a pick if we have to for a player, or move a pick or two picks to move up in the draft.”

The Raiders won the draft lottery on March 22 to get the first overall pick. The draft will take place on May 4 in Calgary.

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow