Cole Caufield signs eight-year extension with Canadiens
Cole Caufield just locked in a massive payday. With his rookie deal expiring, the American winger agreed to an eight-year, $62.8 million contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff broke the news:
Cole Caufield signs a whopper extension with #GoHabsGo: 8 years x $7.85 million.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 5, 2023
Total of $62.8 million.
This looks like a deal that will work out very well for both sides. Last season was a year to forget for both Caufield and the Canadiens as the Habs crawled to last place in the Atlantic.
Caufield also struggled with injuries, putting up 26 goals and 36 points in 46 games. However, some encouraging signs are that the 0.78 points per game are a career-high, along with those 26 goals scored. If his development under head coach Marty St. Louis stays its course, the $7.85 million AAV could become a bargain.
In the 2019 draft, Caufield slid heavily to No. 15 overall as a result of his small frame and concerns about physicality in the NHL.
However, Montreal has been laughing at the bank ever since. Caufield was part of the youth movement that spearheaded the Habs’ shocking run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. Funny enough, the extension is only $200,000 less than his teammate Nick Suzuki; the pair look destined to help bring the Canadiens back to the top in the next few years.
The Future Is Bright?
Nearly $16 million per season on two players is not cheap in today’s NHL. However, I would wager that the Habs could care less about any salary cap issues. Kent Hughes is probably crossing his fingers that the cap ceiling finally goes up a good amount in the next few years. With the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, they could also easily add another young difference maker to this core.
We also forgot about Juraj Slafkovsky. He had one of the worst rookie years for a No. 1 pick in quite some time. While there are causes for concern, perhaps the jury won’t be entirely out once his second season comes around. This is far from guaranteed, but upgrades in defense and goaltending could turn this team around and maybe even surprise some people in 2023-2024.
Canadiens fans everywhere should be happy. Cole Caufield has a very bright future in the NHL and it will most likely be spent wear the red, white, and blue of Montreal.
