Cole Caufield’s Breakout
Cole Caufield was one of the best prospects in all of hockey at this time last year.
The 2019 first round pick of the Canadiens was lighting up college hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers. He would finish the season with 30 goals and 52 points in 31 games which led to him winning the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in NCAA Hockey.
He made his AHL debut and scored three goals and four points in just two games before being called up to the NHL. He had four goals and five points in ten regular season games and became a first line fixture in the postseason, scoring 12 points in 20 playoff games.
This regular season hasn’t gone as well as we would have expected for the right winger who turns 21 years old today. Caufield has just one goal and seven points in 26 games and was sent down to the AHL for a stint, where he scored five points in six games.
But he is just too skilled and too good to continue not scoring. His shot is unbelievably accurate and hard and he can score from just about anywhere in the offensive zone. He has done it at every level, including the NHL and he did that in the playoffs.
It is just a matter of time before Caufield breaks out offensively and starts scoring regularly for the Canadiens. It won’t take much longer and is sure to happen in 2022 and when it does it will be a lot of fun to watch.