The Montreal Canadiens signed 22-year-old forward Cole Caufield to an eight-year contract extension worth $62.8 million.
It's done, finally. Cole Caufield will be a Montreal Canadien for a long time. And collectively, Habs fans exhaled with a big sense of relief.
For many of the faithful, signing Caufield to an extension was the most important item on the off-season docket of general manager Kent Hughes.
The Canadiens announced that Caufield had signed an eight-year contract extension worth $62.8 million through the 2030-31 season. His average annual salary of $7.85 million is a shade less than Nick Suzuki's deal worth $7.875 million, keeping the Canadiens captain at the top of the pyramid.
Speaking to the media, Caufield expressed his enthusiasm. "I'm excited to be here long term," he told reporters. "I think it puts my family in a good place as well, so all those things kind of went into this final number and years, and I'm very excited and very lucky to be a part of the Montreal Canadiens for a long time."
In the 2022-23 season, Caufield scored 26 goals and 10 assists for 36 points in 46 games. His season ended in January, missing the remaining games after undergoing surgery for a right shoulder injury.
"I got cleared about 10 days ago for full activity, so that's been nice. It's been a long journey for me. It's been tough at times but at the end of the day, we're cleared now, so it's full go," Caufield said. "I'm really looking forward to having this full summer to make sure I'm back to 100 percent and the way the things are going right now, I'm not too worried at all."
A former NFL star tweeted his approval for Caufield's new contract. JJ Watt, who also hails from Wisconsin, reacted to the news in French!