Montreal Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield was on pace for a fantastic offensive output, before he was sidelined with a shoulder injury. He was scoring at a torrid pace, and ultimately finished the season tied with Nick Suzuki for the goals lead with 26, although he played 36 fewer games.
Had he been healthy for the full 82-game slate, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility for the Wisconsin native to hit 35-40 goals and close to 75-80 points.
Caufield’s goalscoring prowess has followed him to each and every level he has played at. And given the production that Caufield was able to provide in a shortened season, there’s reason to believe that he can and will follow it up with even better numbers in 2023-24.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into predicting what Caufield’s numbers might look like when April 2024 approaches.
What Will Cole Do With 82 Games?
Given the fact that Kirby Dach, Nick Suzuki, Sean Monahan, Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook will presumably all be healthy, and primed to round out the top six, Caufield has a great supporting cast to aid him in his ascension to the top of the Canadiens’ stat sheet.
While Suzuki was healthy the entire season, the top line featured an array of different players rounding out the trio, which certainly stunts production. However, should Dach or Monahan, or even Anderson slot into the top-line right winger role, and stay there consistently the offensive output should see a steady increase.
Caufield has a knack for getting lost in coverage and appears to finish off a beautiful one-timer or exploiting defences with his game-breaking speed and elite puck skills. With another season under his belt and added strength, Caufield is primed to follow up his output from last year. And all signs point to him shattering those numbers.
So, with all that said, what kind of numbers can we or should we expect from the sniper with a full 82-game slate to work with?
Through 46 games in the 2022-23 season, Caufield compiled 26 goals and added 10 assists. Should he stay healthy and stick with consistent linemates, I have a hard time believing that he doesn’t, at the very least, scratch the 40-45-goal plateau.
Given the fact that Suzuki is no slouch in the offensive zone, should he incorporate his shot a little more, while having an Anderson or Monahan to help drive, and finish plays, I think 35-40 assists could be in the cards as well.
As we all know, Caufield’s potential is sky-high, and given the top-line minutes he will play, he will have every opportunity to have an offensive explosion.
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