2022 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #2 Cole Caufield

When we look back at Cole Caufield’s 2021/22 season, most of us end up in the same place: blaming Dominique Ducharme. Caufield’s mismanagement actually dates back to the 2021 Stanley Cup run when, after scoring five points in 10 regular-season games, Caufield was not selected for the opening game of the postseason. Eventually making his way onto the playoff list, he had 12 points in the 20 games he played.

Caufield was even sent on a six-game stint with Laval Rocket last season to regain his confidence, scoring five points (2G, 3A) during his time there. In the end, he fitted the Habs for 67 games and finished the season with 43 points (23G, 20A). Eight of those points came in the first 30 games under Ducharme, while 22 of those goals came in the second half of the season under the supervision of first-time bench chief Martin St. Louis.

One question will always remain: would Caufield have been in contention for the Calder Trophy if Ducharme hadn’t messed with his confidence and playing style? Absolutely. I guess we’ll never know, but anyone who says finger pointing isn’t legitimate needs special data to back up their argument, which the rest of us aren’t privy to.

Despite Ducharme’s less-than-desirable choices about our little winger with the infectious smile (no, not Brendan Gallagher), Caufield finishes second in this year’s Top 25 Under 25.

We’ve seen before that coaching changes make a difference in players, but since St. Louis took the reins, we’ve seen what we’ve come to expect from Caufield and more. He even went so far as to give us his first NHL hat trick in the last game of the year.

Choose

The vote for Caufield was almost unanimous – apart from Anton putting him number one and who can really blame him for that – proving that although the first half of his season was a bust, there is very little blaming Caufield.

Top 25 Under 25 History

On his debut in 2019, Caufield jumped straight into the top 10, climbing to No. 3 the following season and ending up at No. 2 on our countdown for the second year in a row. The young winger quickly became a fan favorite, wowing us with his personality and impressive overtime skills, earning the nickname Goal Caufield when he first joined the Montreal Canadiens late in the 2020-21 season and thankfully he fits Nickname to him Once more.

Strengthen

There’s no doubt that Caufield’s greatest strength is his elite shot. At a low point last season, it looked like he’d lost his sneaky shooting ability, only shooting at the net every chance he got, but as St. Louis gave its players the leeway to think outside the box and read the game, Caufield’s confidence and underappreciated playmaking skills began to shine again.

He stopped charging and shooting the net, his creativity returned and he began to adapt to the situation. As he shook up the game with more frequent passes, opponents who were accustomed to him always going for the shot began throwing off guard.

The most frustrating thing about Caufield’s shot (for goalkeepers; we as spectators enjoy it immensely) is his ability to shoot from all angles. He’s not a one-trick pony. What’s his secret? “You have to read everything and react to what [the defence] does,” he said. “Holes keep opening up because defenders are moving their sticks.”

weaknesses

Caufield’s 5’7″ frame can sometimes be an issue. While that doesn’t stop him from maneuvering his way up the ice, it does limit his ability to fight for the puck in the corners, and he’s needed his teammates to jump in and help on more than one occasion.

That being said, Caufield has taken full advantage of the longer summer break this time around, adding an extra five pounds of muscle to his 166-pound physique. He says he feels really good where his game and body are right now. That extra five pounds will surely come in handy when he’s fending off defenders while trying to position himself for a shot. Or maybe he keeps his opponents on their toes and fits in with one of his linemates like Suzuki… or Juraj Slafkovský.

projection

As he enters his third year with the Canadiens and the final year of his entry-level contract, there’s no question the 21-year-old will play a key role in the Canadiens’ rebuilding. The expectation for this season is that it’s going to be fun and if they make the playoffs so be it (I said if). It’s the perfect time to gain experience and if he’s given the freedom and the right development there’s no reason to think Caufield can’t take it to the next level, especially when he’s in the front row with his new captain remains. Although still a rookie himself, Caufield now finds himself part of the core team and has the opportunity to rise not only on the ice but in the dressing room and show the new faces his leadership skills.

He said when St. Louis came on board, it was like a switch was flipped for him — and it showed clearly. He says his new coach “is the guy you want to suck everything in, so every time he speaks or shows something on video, you get dialed in.” We all saw Caufield dial in, so With the new boss behind the bench, there’s no reason to think this boy won’t have a great 2022-23 season, and dare I say, possibly even a breakout.

Todd Milewski from the Wisconsin State Journal joins the podcast to talk about Cole Caufield and what he saw when Caufiled was with the Wisconsin Badgers and the progress he made there.