Montreal Canadiens: 7 Talking Points
5. Cole Caufield
Cole Caufield is another dominant NCAA prospect who is likely to sign his entry-level contract with the Canadiens before the season ends. Before he does so, however, he will have his last hurrah with the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA national championship. If Wisconsin is eliminated early, Caufield could be on his way to Montreal quite soon, if they go all the way, Caufield would only be available to the Habs for the final handful of regular-season games and the playoffs.
This is, of course, if the Habs opt to bring Caufield straight to Montreal and burn a year of his entry-level contract. I am far more open to Montreal doing so with Caufield than with Harris. Defensemen generally need more time to develop and Caufield is a league above any other prospect in the Habs’ system, I think the chances of him holding down an NHL roster spot right away are quite high and I truly believe he would improve the current forward group.
While the Habs seem to have fixed their previously-static powerplay, Caufield could elevate it to elite, even as a rookie. He would likely be sheltered at 5v5, but he would be immensely helpful in overtime – something the Habs could really use – and he has the game-breaking shooting ability that no other Hab possesses, not even Weber, Petry or Kotkaniemi.
However, Caufield may be sent to the AHL first in order to acclimate to professional hockey along with Jordan Harris. If this is the case, I will likely tune into each Rocket game and Caufield will be able to gain experience before making a push for a roster spot in training camp next season.
Not since Carey Price have the Canadiens had a prospect where the sky truly is the limit. Caufield could very well become a consistent 25-30 goalscorer, to the disappointment of many Habs fans, but there is also a chance he consistently tops 40-goals, something no Hab since Vincent Damphousse has accomplished, though Tyler Toffoli may have cracked that had the 2020-21 season been a full 82-games.