Montreal Canadiens: The Three Reasons Cole Caufield Needs To Be Called Up Now

Cole Caufield

The most important reason to call a player up to make his NHL debut is because he is ready to play at the highest level. You don’t give a young player an NHL shot just because he was a first round pick or because you want to see how he looks. You need to be sure that player is prepared to succeed at the NHL level.

And what more could Caufield possibly do to show he is ready to suit up with the Montreal Canadiens?

He started this season at 19 years of age and was almost immediately the best player in college hockey. He suited up at the World Juniors and played a solid two-way role on USA’s second line and helped them win a gold medal. He returned from the World Juniors in Edmonton to completely dominate college hockey.

Though he was good before World Juniors with 12 points in 10 games, Caufield was on another level when he returned to Wisconsin. He scored 40 points in 21 games to close out the season showing he wasn’t just a good college player but he was the best player in NCAA in just his second season at that level.

If that wasn’t enough, he proved in just two games at the AHL level that he was more than comfortable there as well. He scored three goals and added an assist in just two games and fired nine shots on goal in those two contests. His elite level skill was on full display and he was a threat to score on almost every shift.

Clearly, he was more than ready for the AHL, which should lead up to believe he is ready for the NHL.