Nearly one year ago, Guttman was captaining the University of Denver team that bested a stacked University of Michigan team with Buffalo's Owen Power, New Jersey's Luke Hughes, and Seattle's Matty Beniers, all first-round NHL draft picks, en route to winning the national championship.
In Guttman's fourth and final season at Denver, he tallied 19 goals, 26 assists and 579 face-off wins as well as being named the 2022 NCAA West Region Most Outstanding Player.
The goal he scored against University of Minnesota-Duluth to tie the game and eventually send the Pioneers to the Frozen Four came against prospects like Wyatt Kaiser, Dominic James, and Connor Kelley, who were all drafted by the Blackhawks.
"Every night you're, playing against top prospects especially in NCHC," Guttman said. "Especially in the Frozen Four, it was pretty cool playing against that Michigan team. Obviously, they have a lot of top talent there, but I thought we had a lot of top talent too and that's why we came out on top."
Seeing his team match up against that kind of talent helped develop an NHL playing style, although going through free agency this summer called into question if he might get that opportunity again.
While weighing his options, he turned to Mitchell for advice.
"Before I signed here, I was asking him questions and he had nothing but great things to say, and he really helped me through that process," Guttman said. "And even at Denver, we were great buddies. He was my captain one year and he's a great leader on and off the ice."
Mitchell echoed the same sentiment about the Denver hockey staff, saying how much playing for the program has helped develop them both.
"He's just such a such a disciplined player, even the small details are excellent," Mitchell said. "I think that's what makes him a talented player, those are just some of the little things that [Denver] instilled in us that I think really translate to this level."
Although he's since been sidelined with a season-ending shoulder surgery, the six points through 14 games in his NHL debut season the 23-year-old forward put up speaks to the grit and determination that he learned at Denver and has provided a strong foundation for his success.
"I don't know if I'd be where I am without Denver," Guttman said. "What they taught me, the coaching staff and the culture really brings the best out of you. They really teach you what to do in your game to make it to the next level."
Mitchell has long saw the talent in Guttman, and it was able to pay off in his shortened season with the Blackhawks.
"He's able to hang on to the puck and he's great at retrieving the puck too," Mitchell said. "He's just a really slippery, kind of tricky player. Just very underrated in my opinion."
Head coach Luke Richardson has seen these skills in Guttman from day one, and his nearly month-long stint in the NHL during his first year playing professionally demonstrates the value he sees in him for hopefully a long time to come at this level.
"He's a smart player, making heads up plays, and can play in pretty much any situation," he said. "He's very responsible, and [even on his first game on the big stage in Toronto], I thought he did really well."
