Prospect Info: Cole Caufield (Part 6)

Status
Not open for further replies.

SpezNc2

Registered User
Mar 3, 2002
1,636
175
I think after this recent loss to the Flyers, where many small players were ineffective (Byron, Gallagher, Domi, and to some extent Mete and Drouin) people are just down on small players in general and assume Caufield will be ineffective in the playoffs.

Flawed logic coming from the subconscious imo. Just like after Chucky busting after not being at center right away, many Hab fans think putting any young center on the wing for a while will kill his development as a center. When really, the fact is that Galchenyuk just was never going to be a center because he innately sucks at center.

100%
 
  • Like
Reactions: Astormynight

Legend123

Registered User
Jul 3, 2016
9,785
4,888
Caufield a étudié le CH en profondeur - TVA Sports

I love how dedicated Caufield is in terms of, not only making the NHL, but also having an impact right away. The article says that he watched the Habs playoff games with his coach and they dissected Julien's system and what the coaches expect from their players so he knows exactly what he needs to work on. This guy has a winners mentality and I'm looking forward to see if his game will translate to the NHL because if it does, he got the mindset and skill to be a real special player.

Another thing is the rumors about him going to the SHL. I know a a lot of us think it would be the best move for him, but I'm not so sure anymore after reading the article. Tony Granato is really preparing him for the NHL and said things like he will be playing in all situations, even to close out games. He's really trying to develop him into a complete player. Maybe he's just saying that because without Caufied and all the other players leaving, the Badgers won't have much talent left, but on the other hand, playing top minutes in the NCAA in all situation with the coach giving all his attention to make sure he becomes the best player he can be (not much other guys to really focus on besides Holloway) might be what's best for him. I think I'd rather that route than have him playing on the 3rd line in the SHL in a completely new environment and a coach much more focused on winning than developing. Of course that's if there's NCAA hockey this year and it starts at a reasonable date. Not saying the SHL would be a bad move though just more risky imo.
rushing a prospect regardless of whether that prospect wants to play or feels hes ready is a baaaaad idea
 

Adam Michaels

Registered User
Jun 12, 2016
77,277
124,067
Montreal
Caufield a étudié le CH en profondeur - TVA Sports

I love how dedicated Caufield is in terms of, not only making the NHL, but also having an impact right away. The article says that he watched the Habs playoff games with his coach and they dissected Julien's system and what the coaches expect from their players so he knows exactly what he needs to work on. This guy has a winners mentality and I'm looking forward to see if his game will translate to the NHL because if it does, he got the mindset and skill to be a real special player.

Another thing is the rumors about him going to the SHL. I know a a lot of us think it would be the best move for him, but I'm not so sure anymore after reading the article. Tony Granato is really preparing him for the NHL and said things like he will be playing in all situations, even to close out games. He's really trying to develop him into a complete player. Maybe he's just saying that because without Caufied and all the other players leaving, the Badgers won't have much talent left, but on the other hand, playing top minutes in the NCAA in all situation with the coach giving all his attention to make sure he becomes the best player he can be (not much other guys to really focus on besides Holloway) might be what's best for him. I think I'd rather that route than have him playing on the 3rd line in the SHL in a completely new environment and a coach much more focused on winning than developing. Of course that's if there's NCAA hockey this year and it starts at a reasonable date. Not saying the SHL would be a bad move though just more risky imo.

I think both NCAA and SHL will be beneficial. In the NCAA, he will play in all situations. In the SHL, he will learn the pro game better. And in the SHL, maybe he will start lower in the line-up, but that doesn't stop him from working his way up and becoming more of a key piece.

If he goes to Europe, he is most likely going for the whole year, not just a few months like other players who will return once camps start. So unless the SHL shuts down at some point, he will play a lot more there than in the NCAA.
 

Jaynki

Registered User
Feb 3, 2014
5,102
4,667
We hear this every draft year, on why we never hit a homerun. Our scouts suck bag. Romanov has a greater chance of being another Emelin than a Markov, Norlinder isn't anything to get excited about, just another Timmins gem that probably will never amount to anything.

JK was pegged anywhere 6-13 on most charts, he was a huge reach at 3. So at 6-13 Hughes had to be on somebody's radar, and if he wasn't, they should all be sent packing because its disgusting to miss a generational talent like that kid.

Excuses, this franchise is really good at them.

Suzuki could be the real deal, we gave up a heck of a player to get him to don't forget. Max is doing well in Vegas.

This post is full of emotion and it feels really negatively biased toward the Montreal Canadiens.

Some facts have to be checked.

Quinn Hughes has done nothing to be called a generational talent yet, is he a better player than KK now? Yes, but there is still a wide margin between a ''wrong'' pick at 3OV and missing on a generational talent.

I'd even argue that if there is a one generational talent between Vancouver and Montreal, it's Carey Price. Also, what a f***ing homerun that was, drafting him at 5OV !

On Romanov and Norlinder, once again, it's Emelin or Markov with far greater odds of it being Emelin. Maybe the truth is somewhere else between.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sasha Orlov

Zam Boni

Registered User
Dec 14, 2009
1,594
426
He can. But he would most likely go to Europe through the Habs. I don't think he has many teams seeking him out as a free agent.

Not to mention, he will be joining Montreal/Laval next year. So he can already be under contract.
Exactly. SHL teams are struggling financially (as do NHL clubs, I know) and they would not spend development time and money on a largely unknown 18 yo NA player who, all but certainly, will be gone next season.
Take him on at a great discount (free?)? Sure.
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,166
25,920
East Coast
I think after this recent loss to the Flyers, where many small players were ineffective (Byron, Gallagher, Domi, and to some extent Mete and Drouin) people are just down on small players in general and assume Caufield will be ineffective in the playoffs.

Flawed logic coming from the subconscious imo. Just like after Chucky busting after not being at center right away, many Hab fans think putting any young center on the wing for a while will kill his development as a center. When really, the fact is that Galchenyuk just was never going to be a center because he innately sucks at center.

Caufield is not going to look to make a pass in a scoring area. That's the difference.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jaffy27

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,166
25,920
East Coast
Caufield a étudié le CH en profondeur - TVA Sports

I love how dedicated Caufield is in terms of, not only making the NHL, but also having an impact right away. The article says that he watched the Habs playoff games with his coach and they dissected Julien's system and what the coaches expect from their players so he knows exactly what he needs to work on. This guy has a winners mentality and I'm looking forward to see if his game will translate to the NHL because if it does, he got the mindset and skill to be a real special player.

Another thing is the rumors about him going to the SHL. I know a a lot of us think it would be the best move for him, but I'm not so sure anymore after reading the article. Tony Granato is really preparing him for the NHL and said things like he will be playing in all situations, even to close out games. He's really trying to develop him into a complete player. Maybe he's just saying that because without Caufied and all the other players leaving, the Badgers won't have much talent left, but on the other hand, playing top minutes in the NCAA in all situation with the coach giving all his attention to make sure he becomes the best player he can be (not much other guys to really focus on besides Holloway) might be what's best for him. I think I'd rather that route than have him playing on the 3rd line in the SHL in a completely new environment and a coach much more focused on winning than developing. Of course that's if there's NCAA hockey this year and it starts at a reasonable date. Not saying the SHL would be a bad move though just more risky imo.

Wow... good news with Caufield and his coach looking into Julien's system. The obsession with hockey and doing what it takes to be a impact player is an important ingredient in development
 
  • Like
Reactions: FLHabs and dralaf

GammaAway

Registered User
Jun 24, 2020
325
204
I think both NCAA and SHL will be beneficial. In the NCAA, he will play in all situations. In the SHL, he will learn the pro game better. And in the SHL, maybe he will start lower in the line-up, but that doesn't stop him from working his way up and becoming more of a key piece.

If he goes to Europe, he is most likely going for the whole year, not just a few months like other players who will return once camps start. So unless the SHL shuts down at some point, he will play a lot more there than in the NCAA.

I am not a Caufield expert by any mean, but IIRC one of his strengths is supposedly to find the soft ice and get open, right? In which case, one of the minuses in the SHL to me would be changing his positioning instincts to match the bigger ice, which he would have to adapt back once he comes back to NA.
 

Adam Michaels

Registered User
Jun 12, 2016
77,277
124,067
Montreal
I am not a Caufield expert by any mean, but IIRC one of his strengths is supposedly to find the soft ice and get open, right? In which case, one of the minuses in the SHL to me would be changing his positioning instincts to match the bigger ice, which he would have to adapt back once he comes back to NA.

He has played international hockey on the European ice multiple times and he would return to the NA ice. I think he'll be able to handle it. I don't think one year in Europe will discombobulate him.
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,166
25,920
East Coast
I am not a Caufield expert by any mean, but IIRC one of his strengths is supposedly to find the soft ice and get open, right? In which case, one of the minuses in the SHL to me would be changing his positioning instincts to match the bigger ice, which he would have to adapt back once he comes back to NA.

That only hurts you if your hockey IQ is low
 
  • Like
Reactions: Redux91

Le Barron de HF

Justin make me proud
Mar 12, 2008
16,250
3,880
Shawinigan
Info from MA Godin on the rumors of him going to Rogle.

''But he would bring a goal scorer’s touch to Rögle if he was able to make that transition seamlessly and settle into a role as a top-six forward.
The normal standard for accepting an import in Sweden is that if he can’t fill a role as a top-six forward or top-four defenceman, then that club would be better off giving that job to a Swedish player. That may be why another name has been tied to Rögle, San Jose Sharks forward and native Swede Marcus Sorensen, a 28-year-old left-winger who has experience in the SHL, would need to make minimal adjustments to his environment, understands system play in that league and has no language or lifestyle barrier. He doesn’t have Caufield’s potential, but Sorensen would be a less risky option.''

He also mentions that Lavoie was supposedly cut because they didn't deem him ready to contribute for them based on the game they saw which goes to show you how this wouldn't be a walk in the park for Caufield. He also mentions how this is asking a lot from a kid who is 19 years old, moving away to a foreign country in this current context is a big ask. It'd also be best if the Canadiens sign Caufield if he goes to Europe as a sign of good faith in case the latter gets hurt since otherwise he'd left with nothing and Habs could screw him over. Considering the lack of communication between the two sides with the Brunet interview, this would go a long way in forming a solid relationship between the two. I also believe he'd be foregoing his college career and education by going to Europe so this is another element to take into account. I do find that Caufield doesn't value that as much as some of our previous prospects (Leblanc; education, Kristo; legacy and success in the NCAA). Another important detail, players cannot sign with a SHL club and leave during the season, only those in the second tier league (Allsvenskan), which is why Vejdemo signed there even if he was good enough for the SHL. Since the plan wouldn't be for him to join the team during the season, this is one less piece of the puzzle to worry about. Since the SHL season is already underway, it would end in march which means Caufield could join the team if they think he's ready. He'd burn off a year of his contract if he plays more than 9 games.
 

ZUKI

I hate the haters...
Oct 23, 2003
13,945
4,341
montreal
The thing with Caufield, if he scores 40, but gets scored on alot at even strength because of his size and defensive work, then it kind of lower his real impact since the negatives is shadowing the positive, a bit like Gaudreau with Calgary, outstanding PP player, but hasnt close the same impact at even strength...

Now Im not saying Caufield cant improve in those areas, but the lack of top end speed for a such undersized kid + lack of size and reach will be an handicap we will have to live with, so thats why it will be crucial to surround this kid the proper way with big talended linemates that will create room for him, in KK you have 1, drafting Holloway would be the 2nd...

While Caufield has huge upside, he comes with some red flags I mentionned above, so it wouldnt be fair to rank him as our clear cut best prospect at this point, IMO.

About Ylonen, kid is indeed one of the most underrated prospects in the world, not only on HF, but he is not even in most top 50 prospects lists from respectable sources... Kid has elite skating in term of speed and agility, has great hands, sharp passing, very good shot ect, he is in the mold of a Ehlers, Nylander... Will need to improve his work along the board and defensive zone commitment, but those arent big issues, like most kid his age, will tend to be a tad too passive without the puck... Overall, his skills level are pretty high, top 6 for sure... Question isnt to know if he will play in the NHL or not, thats when and how dominant can he become... Personally I wouldnt be surprised if he ends up as a top line 70 pts player...
Caufield has already took a big step in the defensive zone during the season. His coach also said that he wanted to give him more responsibilities next season even PK minutes ... but well , it was before covid-19
 

montreal

Go Habs Go
Mar 21, 2002
57,340
39,860
www.youtube.com
Caufield has already took a big step in the defensive zone during the season.

no the opposite, i saw almost every game he played, his defensive effort was terrible at times, and very likely why he didn't get an NHL contract. Talk to Wisconsin fans, I am on some NCAA message boards and when the rumor of the SHL team wanting to sign him broke, many were glad to see him go due to how weak his defensive play was.

But I think he got the message and will play much better overall this season. I would have liked to see him on the bigger ice so that if forces him to improve his skating and having our 2 best prospects in the same league would be fun to see but at Wisconsin they could suck again so he will get a ton of ice time and be the one to carry the team. In the SHL his ice time would depend on how well he plays, which isn't a bad thing just saying at Wisconsin he will get a ton of TOI no matter what.
 

Goldenhands

Slaf_The_Great
Sponsor
Aug 21, 2016
10,005
12,708
no the opposite, i saw almost every game he played, his defensive effort was terrible at times, and very likely why he didn't get an NHL contract. Talk to Wisconsin fans, I am on some NCAA message boards and when the rumor of the SHL team wanting to sign him broke, many were glad to see him go due to how weak his defensive play was.

But I think he got the message and will play much better overall this season. I would have liked to see him on the bigger ice so that if forces him to improve his skating and having our 2 best prospects in the same league would be fun to see but at Wisconsin they could suck again so he will get a ton of ice time and be the one to carry the team. In the SHL his ice time would depend on how well he plays, which isn't a bad thing just saying at Wisconsin he will get a ton of TOI no matter what.
Quoted for truth... Will be interesting to see how he handles himself in his 2nd NCAA season, kid isnt hopeless defensively, I think he is smart enough to work on it and become a better overall player, was also playing on an offensively stacked NDTP team the year before where the defensive part of the game didnt matter much, they had enough firepower to win most nights, a kid like Jake Hugues struggled alot to adjust to the NHL too, wasnt physically and defensively ready to play in the big league...
 
Last edited:

FLHabs

Send all your underacheiving prospects!!
Feb 18, 2017
1,986
3,204
Brayden Point was asked on his on ice interview how it felt to prove wrong all the people who said he was too small. Here's hoping to Caufield getting asked the same question while offensively leading this team to a cup run at some point in his career hehe
 
  • Like
Reactions: 26Mats

26Mats

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
31,747
24,142
Caufield is not going to look to make a pass in a scoring area. That's the difference.

Really hoping CC and Romanov can be added to our young core (which is all of Suzuki and KK as of now). We could use an elite scorer and a good all around dman... Looking forward to their journey over the next few years.

And gotta hope we get another young player with promise at 16 oA.
 
Last edited:

admiralcadillac

Registered User
Oct 22, 2017
7,462
6,660
no the opposite, i saw almost every game he played, his defensive effort was terrible at times, and very likely why he didn't get an NHL contract. Talk to Wisconsin fans, I am on some NCAA message boards and when the rumor of the SHL team wanting to sign him broke, many were glad to see him go due to how weak his defensive play was.

But I think he got the message and will play much better overall this season. I would have liked to see him on the bigger ice so that if forces him to improve his skating and having our 2 best prospects in the same league would be fun to see but at Wisconsin they could suck again so he will get a ton of ice time and be the one to carry the team. In the SHL his ice time would depend on how well he plays, which isn't a bad thing just saying at Wisconsin he will get a ton of TOI no matter what.

Wisconsin fans were glad to see their top scorer and sure to be top point getter this year go because of bad defensive play? That sounds like coping to me.
 

Belial

Registered User
Oct 22, 2014
26,142
14,323
Montreal
Apparently, he knows what he needs to work on so I don't think where he plays next season will make such a huge impact on his overall career.
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,166
25,920
East Coast
Really hoping CC and Romanov can be added to our young core (which is all of Suzuki and KK as of now). We could use an elite scorer and a good all around dman... Looking forward to their journey over the next few years.

And gotta hope we get another young player with promise at 16 oA.

I think we will add more quality/quantity with our 12 picks. I believe we have 7 from 47-125 range. We can assume we get another 2 or 3 grade B's. Will we hit with the 16th? Not sure. I think there is a fair chance we trade that pick.

Caufield is the wild card.
 
Aug 25, 2009
10,563
3,722
éal
People be like small players can’t be good in the playoff the same month Point get something like 33 points in 25 games
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->