A $65 million contract for Cole Caufield?

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Jeff Drouin
September 18, 2022 (7:24 PM)

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Among the Canadiens players who will be playing their last year of contract this season, Cole Caufield is often overlooked.

In his case, it's quite different, as he is still on his NHL entry-level contract and many hockey fans are wondering what his market value might be.

It's true that last year he had a split season until Martin St-Louis took over the helm of the Habs and from that point on, it looked like we were seeing the real Cole Caufield.

He scored goals at such a rate that he could very well break the bank on his next contract. As Marc-Olivier Cook of Danslescoulisses.com reports, a veteran journalist would have his own idea of the value of the Canadiens' small forward on the market right now.

During his column on BPM Sports, veteran journalist Yvon Pedneault drew a parallel between Caufield's situation and the new contract that Jordan Kyrou just signed with the St. Louis Blues.

The latter has just pocketed the jackpot with an 8-year deal that will pay him $8.125 million per year.

Could Caufield sign a similar contract? It's not certain, because Kyrou turned 24 last March and he just had his best season in his career, where he literally exploded with 75 points, including 27 goals, in 74 games.

For now, the Habs' number 22 has yet to reach those standards, even with his 22 goals in his last 37 games in 2021-2022. It is likely that Kent Hughes will be patient with his 21-year-old forward

Could Caufield sign a transition contract like he did with P.K. Subban in 2013?

Let's say it's unlikely because this approach is not very common in the NHL anymore. Also, we should not forget the possibility that Caufield could receive a hostile offer from another team, as was the case with a certain KK.

In these circumstances, it would be better for the Canadiens organization and the Caufield clan to come to an agreement as soon as possible to avoid any distractions during the season.

Do you think that Caufield could sign, like Kyrou, an eight-season contract worth $65 million? Is that too much?

To hear Yvon Pedneault's interview on BPM Sports, click below.

Yvon Pedneault's column on BPM Sports