Here it is finally, the news that supporters of the Canadiens have been waiting impatiently for several months. Cole Caufield has signed a long and lucrative new contract with the Habs.
The 22-year-old forward agreed Monday to terms on an eight-year deal that will net him $62.8 million.
This new contract will have something to make much more happy than the player himself, who will thus receive 7.85 million annually. For months, fans have been asking for confirmation that their favorite sniper will be in Montreal for a long time. They can take out the champagne today.
During the Canadian’s end-of-season review on April 14, Caufield was asked about what he believed he had proven so far in the NHL. “Nothing at all,” he replied, recalling that he had not yet played a campaign from start to finish in the NHL.
It’s true that the small striker has only played 113 of his team’s 164 games over the past two seasons. It was nevertheless more than enough to allow him to show the full extent of his talent as a scorer… and to convince those who had to convince.
Before he injured his shoulder — and had surgery — in late January, Caufield found himself at 11e rank of NHL goal scorers with 26 goals in 46 games. We are talking about a rhythm of some 45 goals over a full season. As an indication, only seven players have scored more than 45 goals this season. Nothing says that Caufield would have maintained this rhythm, obviously, but it nevertheless gives a good indication of his future contribution.
Beyond the goals, Caufield also brings an obvious good mood to Martin St-Louis’ squad. When the young player fell in battle in January, the head coach had also mentioned that the “most important thing” to fill was not so much his goals, but his “enthusiasm”.
Suzuki-Caufield, for a long time
This means that the two young stars of the Canadian, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, will evolve together for at least the next seven years. Recall that Suzuki signed an eight-year, $63 million contract in October 2021, a contract that came into effect during the 2022-2023 season.
Caufield and Suzuki get along like thieves at fairs. Since the arrival of the first in the NHL, the two accomplices have joined forces on 34 goals of their own. They have quickly become fan favorites… and they will obviously be for a long time to come.