Canadiens sign star winger to eight-year extension

The Montreal Canadiens have signed their top young winger Cole Caufield to an eight-year contract extension worth $7.85 million per season.

The deal will kick in next season and will last until 2030-31. The contract will make him the second highest-paid skater on the Canadiens behind Nick Suzuki, who has a $7.875 million cap hit until 2030. Brendan Gallagher ($6.5 million until 2027) and Josh Anderson ($5 million until 2027) are the only other skaters making over $5 million next season for Montreal.

Caufield is coming off his NHL entry-level contract, which saw him record 53 goals and 84 points in 123 games over parts of three seasons. He has yet to play a full NHL season, and missed nearly half of the 2022-23 campaign due to shoulder surgery in January. Caufield was on pace for nearly 50 goals at the time, so the loss was significant for Montreal.

Considered to be one of the better young goal-scorers in the game today, Caufield holds the record for the most goals in a single United States Development Team season with 72 back in 2018-19. He was a 30-goal scorer in his final year with the University of Wisconsin in 2020-21, earning him the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey, among other accolades. Caufield joined the Habs for the team’s run to the Stanley Cup final later that year, where he put up an impressive 12 points in 20 games.

Caufield struggled early for Montreal in 2021-22, and even was sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. But the hiring of coach Martin St. Louis seemed to spark him, and he finished with 23 goals and 40 points in 67 games. With St. Louis in charge, Caufield quickly became one of Montreal’s best players.

This move should help the Canadiens add some long-term stability to their core. The team is still a work in progress after finishing in the bottom five in each of the past two seasons. The club has $725,834 in current cap space, according to Cap Friendly, with rumors swirling about the future of Anderson and Gallagher and their hefty contracts. Carey Price is unlikely to return with his $10.5 million cap hit due to injuries, as well.