The Montreal Canadiens attacker could blossom into the proven scorer he’s projected to be if all goes well.
This upcoming year will be the third season with Martin St. Louis as bench boss for the Montreal Canadiens. There was no player fans were more excited to see develop under the Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Famer than Cole Caufield.
Ever since Caufield burst onto the scene for the 2021 Canadiens playoff run, wherein he recorded 12 points in 20 games, Habs fans have waited for the young American to blossom into the proven scorer he is projected to be. From St Louis’ hiring in February 2022 to now, the winger has amassed 81 goals and 68 assists in 205 games.
Caufield has scored 23 goals in 67 games in 2021-22, then bested that total in 2022-23 with 26 goals in 46 games. The good news about last season was he played in all 82 regular season games, the less than stellar news was that he only surpassed his season goal total by 2, scoring 28. A 65-point campaign is nothing to turn your nose up to, but Habs fans are hoping for Caufield to hit the 30, even 40-goal mark.
A few factors are weighing in Caufield’s favor. The chemistry between him and his top linemates Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovský grew as the season progressed. Suzuki experienced an All-Star selection season, while Slafkovský racked up a 50-point season that garnered him an eight-year extension worth $60.8 million.
What would help out Caufield as well is a healthy season from Kirby Dach. Yes, the centreman is in charge of the second offensive line, if St Louis chooses to switch up the trios, Dach’s pinpoint playmaking and Caufield’s elite puck placement could contribute to a huge upside in point production.
Hypothetically, if Caufield produced goals at the same rate as his best season—2022-23 when his goal per game rate was roughly 0.56 on average—and he played in all 82 games, he would muster 46 goals. That’s 18 additional goals for the Canadiens, giving them an approximate 250 goals for the team. This would have Montreal tied with Ottawa in 20th place for most in the 2023-24 season with 250 goals.
These numbers are solely theoretical and provide nothing to the club given that they don’t exist. Even more, it’s a lot of pressure to place on Caufield’s shoulders. The former Wisconsin Badger needs to reach 30 goals first. With the number of forward prospects gradually making their way to Montreal, it won’t be up to him to produce by himself. Theorizing and playing with numbers will work in the meantime.
