Cole Caufield: Is this the year?

[Pompeius Magnus]

FWIW, I REALLY liked how much more of a puck carrier Caufield was when he did play with a different center. He tends to defer way too much to Suzuki, which can make him more limited than he actually is . He can be a lot more than just a sniper IMO, although shooting is obviously his main forte.

 

[Sorinth]

They are, but the team has talked more in the past about duos and I tend to agree. In a salary cap world, you kind of need to find your duos and then find who is an effective contributor to the line as a rotational 3rd.

Suzuki and Slafkovsky have shown more chemistry this year than Caufield and Suzuki has.

I think next year they need to go into the year thinking Suzuki-Slaf is a duo and Dach-Caufield is a duo. You can rotate the likes of Newhook, Roy, etc. on their lines as the 3rd.

I do think that top line gets broken up at some point in the future because spreading your offence around makes you a better team. Chicago very rarely used Kane-Toews-Hossa as a line for example.

I would imagine initially they might keep the Caufield-Suzuki duo together and go with the Slaf-Dach duo. It's what they were did to start of the year, and even though it does concentrate the size on 1 line, I don't think that's really an issue as there's a compounding effect with size so having 2 guys with size who can use it properly helps them a lot. Kind of why I'm hoping for Lindstrom at the draft so we can build a Legion of Doom type line. But no issue if they do go with Slaf-Suzuki and Caufield-Dach.

 

[Fatbiggie]

I voted 40+

I’ll do it again next year

 

[Deebs]

FWIW, I REALLY liked how much more of a puck carrier Caufield was when he did play with a different center. He tends to defer way too much to Suzuki, which can make him more limited than he actually is . He can be a lot more than just a sniper IMO, although shooting is obviously his main forte.

Only problem with this is if he plays with Dach, Kirby should have the puck on his stick just as much a Nick. Cole maybe had a down year goal wise, barely, but he's had a solid season. I think he'll continue to improve no matter who he's with next year.

 

[Paddy17]

They are, but the team has talked more in the past about duos and I tend to agree. In a salary cap world, you kind of need to find your duos and then find who is an effective contributor to the line as a rotational 3rd.

Suzuki and Slafkovsky have shown more chemistry this year than Caufield and Suzuki has.

I think next year they need to go into the year thinking Suzuki-Slaf is a duo and Dach-Caufield is a duo. You can rotate the likes of Newhook, Roy, etc. on their lines as the 3rd.

Can Celibrini play wing?

 

[Paddy17]

FWIW, I REALLY liked how much more of a puck carrier Caufield was when he did play with a different center. He tends to defer way too much to Suzuki, which can make him more limited than he actually is . He can be a lot more than just a sniper IMO, although shooting is obviously his main forte.

Before he got shut down last year, he was the play-driver on his line. There was a particular stretch of about 10 games or so where he looked absolutely incredible, and that culminated in a sequence where he forechecked, hit a giant defenseman to knock him off the puck, and it resulted to a goal right after.

Caufield can definately play away from Suzuki, so it bodes well if Dach is healthy.

 

[Tyson]

Can Celibrini play wing?

I am sure San Jose will entertain it

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I am sure San Jose will entertain it

We have pretty good luck with lotteries. Would be exciting if we moved up. But at this point we’re getting a damn fine prospect guaranteed

Is this the thread to ask how many spots we can move up if we finish 5th last?

 

[Miller Time]

It's not the goal scoring breakout we all hoped for, but overall this was a great season for Caufield.

That he struggle with his bread & butter asset & saw his sh % plummet, yet found other ways to contribute effectively while making positive strides in his play without the puck on his stick, is a testament to his drive to being a great player.

Also a big positive that he played a full season averaging over 19min/game, and looks fresh and explosive as we get to the end of the season... 12th in the league (RW) in ice time at his position while being the youngest in the top 25. Impressive season all around.

I hope he has a great offseason and puts together back to back healthy years next season... Could be in store for a monster breakout.

Future is bright

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I love that people just can’t process that we have a first line WHOLLY made up of f***ing studs who are virtually still kids so they treat CC like he’s barely a top 6er.

Just because Slaf and Suzuki have been unreal down the stretch doesn’t mean that Caufield can’t still be elite too lol.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Glad to see Cole ending the season this way. I was getting worried during the 20 game goalless streak. He seemed to come back and then boom - it all went away again. I think he got hurt. He missed a few practices and played poorly for a stretch. That might explain it. Who knows though?

Anyway, the end of year goal spurt gives me way more confidence for next year. He’ll stil finish with a brutal shooting percentage but at least it won’t be 7 percent….

 

[Jabba11]

His play is encouraging for next year. In a down year, he managed 27 goals and 64 pts so far. That's pretty positive for years where he gets it going early and consistently. He did score 26 in 46 last year. He only scored 1 more goal this year in 80 games.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I know goal scorers can be streaky but I hope it's not that

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I love that people just can’t process that we have a first line WHOLLY made up of f***ing studs who are virtually still kids so they treat CC like he’s barely a top 6er.

Just because Slaf and Suzuki have been unreal down the stretch doesn’t mean that Caufield can’t still be elite too lol.

Cc’s real value is his goalscoring. Yes, it’s awesome that he’s developing the rest of his game and it was a good year from that perspective. Ultimately though, when he’s scoring properly he’s on a whole other level.

It’s insane how low his percentage has been this season but the end is encouraging. I think he bounces back next year. At a normal percentage he’s easily a 40 goal guy and with last year’s percentage he’d be 50 plus.

It sucks thay the year was wasted from that perspective but the underlying play is encouraging. 300 plus shots is fantastic and he’s going to finish the year with more shots than anyone’s we’ve had since Guy Lafleur.

 

[1909]

His play is encouraging for next year. In a down year, he managed 27 goals and 64 pts so far. That's pretty positive for years where he gets it going early and consistently. He did score 26 in 46 last year. He only scored 1 more goal this year in 80 games.

Injury to a shoulder did not help. I read that is shot is 4 km slower than last year on average. It makes a difference indeed.

 

[SlafySZN]

I know goal scorers can be streaky but I hope it's not that

He isn’t really the streaky type usually.

If we take last season has an example, he rarely went more than 4 games without scoring. He scores like every 2 games.

 

[Rapala]

7 goals in 7 games and what 6 of them from in and around the net.
Not to say it has anything to do with his shooting percentage but it does.
This is not the Caufield we saw all season long with multitudes of inoffensive SOG's.

 

[Frank Drebin]

He isn’t really the streaky type usually.

If we take last season has an example, he rarely went more than 4 games without scoring. He scores like every 2 games.

Yeah I know. He's just had 2 half seasons so far where he's been " cold"

I know both seasons he was cold for a reason but I sure would like to see what he can do over 82

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yeah I know. He's just had 2 half seasons so far where he's been " cold"

I know both seasons he was cold for a reason but I sure would like to see what he can do over 82

Assuming he can produce another 315 shot year.

10 percent is 32 goals.
13 percent is 41
15 percent is 47
17 percent is 54
20 percent is 63

It’s not a stretch at all that he’d be a 50 plus goal guy next year. 15.8 would get him to 50. At last year’s percentage he’d have scored 51 (assuming he gets 10 shots in the last two games.)

He should’ve scored 50 this year.

 

[ReHabs]

Assuming he can produce another 315 shot year.

10 percent is 32 goals.
13 percent is 41
15 percent is 47
17 percent is 54
20 percent is 63

It’s not a stretch at all that he’d be a 50 plus goal guy next year. 15.8 would get him to 50. At last year’s percentage he’d have scored 51 (assuming he gets 10 shots in the last two games.)

He should’ve scored 50 this year.

With better playmaking from the back (improved defence corps/improved defenders), better chemistry with his line, better match-up opportunities when the Habs have better depth, and (in summary) a better team which tilts the ice more often -- we can bet that Caufield will hit 40 goals before long.

40 goals is more or less top20 in the league, a great achievement. Anything above and beyond that would be spectacular.

 

[CanadienShark]

FWIW, I REALLY liked how much more of a puck carrier Caufield was when he did play with a different center. He tends to defer way too much to Suzuki, which can make him more limited than he actually is . He can be a lot more than just a sniper IMO, although shooting is obviously his main forte.

Obviously nowhere near the same level of player, but I view him as sort of an inverse Patrick Kane. More shooting focused, but dangerous in many many ways.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Personally, I think he should look at changing the lie of his blade. He's a very good stickhandler, but there are a lot of times where he stick handles over the puck, or has it hop over his blade when he's receiving a pass for a catch and shoot.

 

[SlafySZN]

Personally, I think he should look at changing the lie of his blade. He's a very good stickhandler, but there are a lot of times where he stick handles over the puck, or has it hop over his blade when he's receiving a pass for a catch and shoot.

I thought it was because of confidence but maybe you’re onto something.

 

[Andrei79]

For a down year, this was a very good season considering he was post surgery. His shot was clearly off and only recently has it looked like it used to.

His all around game though took big strides. It feels good to have a coaching staff that has a plan for its players.

 

[Adam Michaels]

For a down year, this was a very good season considering he was post surgery. His shot was clearly off and only recently has it looked like it used to.

His all around game though took big strides. It feels good to have a coaching staff that has a plan for its players.

He has improved other aspects of his game. Which is encouraging. And on what is considered a down year in goal scoring, he's still flirting with 30 goals. And at the rate he's been scoring lately, it will be no surprise if he scored 3 more goals in the final 2 games to hit 30.