Cole Caufield signed an extension worth $62.8 million over eight years from the Montreal Canadiens, Monday.
Caufield, born in Wisconsin, played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin, as well as the U-20 USA developmental team. Montreal drafted him with the 15th overall in 2019 NHL draft. The American-born superstar shined at the World Junior Classic in 2021 en route to a gold medal. Caufield contributed for Montreal that season, joining late, but being part of a strong playoff run. They reached the Cup Final that season, losing in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He garnered 84 points in 123 games played. He’s only 22-years-old, so he will continue his development and is poised to be a point-per-game player in the coming years. His team, however, may hold him back from being apart of a contender though.
The Canadiens future
Since reaching the finals, the Canadiens have struggled immensely, finishing last in the Atlantic division in consecutive years. They earned the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, and will select fifth in the 2023 draft.
Caufield dealt with a major shoulder injury that caused him to miss nearly half of the 2022-23 season. Despite that, he is a major part of their future. Players like Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, and last year’s first overall selection Juraj Slafkovsky promise to fill out the rest of Montreal’s core going forward. They’ll need to add more young talent and continue to build a roster around these key players.
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