A major Canadiens absence was announced that could open the door for two young defensemen

Monday brought tough news out of Brossard.

Kaiden Guhle is reportedly set to miss the start of the 2026-27 season, and while the "GoHabsGo" faithful will feel that loss on the back end, it also cracks open a door that has been stuck shut for a while.

Guhle had surgery over the summer after yet another rough injury, and his recovery is expected to stretch into the start of the year.

It is a real blow for a Canadiens blue line that leaned on him heavily, especially in the matchups nobody else wanted to take.

With Guhle sidelined, the door swings open for David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom, two names Habs fans have circled for a while now.

Neither one is walking in to replace Guhle's minutes outright, but training camp just got a lot more interesting for both of them.

Reinbacher is the flashier name, a right shot defenseman who moves pucks quickly and has looked more comfortable since joining the Laval Rocket.

If he keeps trending the right direction, a call up starts to feel less like a hope and more like a plan.

Engstrom does not carry the same first round buzz, but he might be the more ready option right now.

At 22, he already has well over 200 professional games on his resume across the Rocket, the Canadiens, and Rogle BK in Sweden, and he can play either side of the blue line.

His 15 game trial with Montreal last season stood out too, with underlying numbers suggesting he can actually help control high danger chances, a real weakness for this team lately.

Nobody expects Guhle's absence to last forever, but for Reinbacher and Engstrom, this stretch could be the audition of their careers.

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Maple Leafs add gritty defenseman on PTO who could make things interesting at training camp