Canadiens: Cole Caufield Needs To Be Sent To Laval

One story that is starting to gain traction in the myriad of stories surrounding the Montreal Canadiens is the one regarding the status of Cole Caufield. The highly touted prospect who dazzled the hockey world in last year’s playoffs is struggling to find his footing this season thus far.

Caufield entered the season as one of, if not the, favorite to win the Calder trophy given to the rookie of the year in the NHL. After jumping from the University of Wisconsin to the Laval Rocket and the Montreal Canadiens in a matter of weeks this past season, the one affectionately called Bilbo by his teammates (and Frodo by others, it’s a big debate in Hobbitsville) is possibly the most exciting and anticipated prospect the Canadiens have had since Carey Price.

As we stand Caufield is sitting on one assist (a secondary one at that against the Detroit Red Wings) and has been relegated from first to third line duties. His ice time has been cut to a mere 12 minutes and is starting to see less time on the powerplay as well.

There’s nothing to worry about the 20 year old in terms of the kind of career he will eventually have, however the team cannot afford another Jesperi Kotkaniemi fiasco and push him too much too early. The player development department has often been criticized in Montreal having negatively impacted players such as Kotkaniemi, Victor Mete, Alex Galchenyuk and quite a few others throughout the years.

Development goes beyond skill. It’s how to train, how to eat and how to survive as an NHL athlete in a world where the common citizen views you as a deity. It’s especially about keeping and even gaining the confidence needed to flourish at all levels.

That being said, there’s no denying Caufield’s skill set. His vision on the ice is at an elite level and he’s not afraid to shoot the puck from every angle. He’s your prototypical sniper who has given us shades of Patrick Kane at times which is definitely something to be excited about.

Exciting or not, Caufield still needs to hone his skills and gain more experience at the pro level. Playing 12 minutes on the third line won’t cut it, especially with a team that’s trying to find its identity. He has dominated at every level in his career and before he becomes a star in the NHL, it’s time for him to become a star in the AHL first.

Imagine being on the Laval Rocket roster at the moment. The team despite playing a win over .500 to start the season, is playing an all out offensive and ultra physical game. You’re sitting at your locker room stall and you hear that although your team is leading the league in goals for, one of the top 10 prospects in the NHL is going to join you in order to score even more goals. Also he’s a great guy and teammate to boot. That would get anyone pumped up to work even harder and make sure he immediately becomes an impactful player and is accepted by the entourage.

Make no mistake about it, relegating Cole Caufield to the AHL would not be a punishment by all means. You’re putting him on a team hungry to win it all and would immediately be put on the first line and play 20 minutes a night.

There comes a time where you have to think about the personal growth of a player and the long-term success he can have and will ultimately bring to the team, rather than short-term success. The right wing has no shortage of depth in Montreal and by sending Caufield to Laval, you simply bump up Joel Armia to the third line, which can only be positive for him and the team as a whole, and then you have all the options in the world to fill in the final spot on the fourth line. Paul Byron will eventually come back to the lineup in December, you have Adam Brooks who can be slotted into the the center spot while Paquette can also play wing. You can bring back Alex Belzile as a spark plug player as well or go the trade route and bring in a veteran on the cheap like the team did last year when they brought in Corey Perry. A gritty player like Antoine Roussel comes to mind or maybe even take a flyer on Bobby Ryan who’s still a free agent after being released from his PTO with the Red Wings after having a more than respectable training camp.

The point of all of this is Caufield needs the confidence boost. He needs the minutes and he needs to be in an environment where he’s going to have as much fun as possible and being the best in Laval at his age is the best thing for him.

Now it’s all a matter of if the Canadiens’ brass thinks the same as they’ve developed a reputation of using Laval as filler rather than a proper prospect development program.