The Montreal Canadiens had a surprisingly good season, and sniper Cole Caufield was one of the main artisans of that surprise qualification for the Spring dance. The right winger had a career year in his fourth full professional season.

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For a second campaign in a row, he played all 82 games and improved his offensive numbers. With 37 goals and 33 assists, the diminutive forward reached the 70-point mark and proved again that he is the perfect partner for captain Nick Suzuki.

Even more impressive was that even though he lost his preferred spot on the power play, the winger didn’t get down on himself; he rolled up his sleeves and adapted. While he was once strictly a goal scorer, Caufield is a much more complete player now, and you can tell he doesn’t care who gets the points as long as the Canadiens score.

Furthermore, he’s become much more aware on the ice. When he’s backchecking, he’s a real threat for the puck carrier; he doesn’t miss many opportunities to pick an unsuspecting defender’s pocket. He’s also become much more defensively responsible in the process, something any coach loves to have.

He ended the year with a positive rating at plus-nine for the first time in his career. The season before, he was a minus-four, a minus-10 as a sophomore, and a minus-24 in his rookie season, talk about constant improvement.

Many hoped to see him break the 40-goal mark this season when he started the season on an absolute tear, but he slowed down, which was normal. Snipers are streaky, but it doesn’t mean he’s not going to get there. There’s nothing to suggest that we’ve seen Caufield’s, Suzuki’s, or Juraj Slafkovsky’s ceiling, meaning their respective offensive production will likely go up.

While he might only be 24 years old, Caufield is fast becoming a veteran leader on this team and a great young model for the kids just making their debut in the NHL, like Ivan Demidov.

There was very little not to like about the right winger’s season, and he fully deserves an A for his performances.

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