The Montreal Canadiens have their first player in NHL.com's current top 50 list in Cole Caufield, but the reasons behind that selection didn't give the sniper enough credit.
NHL.com revealed the second part of its top 50 NHL players right now list, and Montreal Canadiens’ sniper Cole Caufield came in 31st place. Why did the American land there? According to the article, it was mainly because he scored 51 goals last season, a feat Montreal hadn’t seen in quite some time, and because he contributed 13 points in 19 games during the Habs' playoff run.
While there’s no denying the fact that reaching 50 goals was an impressive feat, what’s even more impressive is the fact that Caufield has a knack for scoring important goals. None of his goals were scored in an empty net; 12 were game-winning goals (1st in the league), and five were overtime goals (1st in the league). It should also be remembered that 28 of his goals were go-ahead goals, tying the second-highest total in league history. Pavel Bure got 28 back in 1999-00, and Brett Hull set the record with 39 in 1990-91 (that season, he scored 86 goals, the third-highest total in league history).
For the 25-year-old to already be mentioned in the same conversation as players such as Hull and Bure is remarkable, especially given how many teams just dismissed him because of his size. The Canadiens can thank the heavens that Caufield was still available at 15th overall in the 2019 draft. The sniper deserves to be high in the Top 50 players ranking, but not because of how many goals he scored, but because of how important and clutch his goals were.
As for his offensive contribution in the playoffs, Caufield was quick to say that he “sucked” in the postseason during the locker room clear-out day. Why? Because 10 of his 13 points came on the power play (77% of his points), meaning he didn’t have as much of an impact at even strength in the postseason as he did in the regular season (33% of his points came on the power play in the regular season), and he understandably wasn’t happy about that. Still, his contribution shouldn’t be dismissed even if it came on the man-advantage, but the fact that Caufield is his own harshest critic bodes well for the future, and it’s obvious that the next time the Habs play in the playoffs, he will be doing his best to reverse the trend.
The article also mentions that Caufield won the Lady Bing Trophy after spending only 14 minutes in the box and showing great sportsmanship. Not enough is made of the fact that when one of Caufield’s teammates scores, he’s just as happy, if not more, than when he finds the back of the net himself, even if he is chasing a landmark like 50 goals. The Wisconsin native is a leader and an inspiration for his teammates and fully deserves the 31st place in the top 50 player ranking.
Caufield is the first Hab to make the list this season, and it will be interesting to see where captain Nick Suzuki and blueliner Lane Hutson land.
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