Cole Caufield's next contract: five contracts to build on

UPDATE DAY

The new contract awarded to forward Cole Caufield will be the subject of spring and summer for the Montreal Canadiens. The duration of the agreement and the salary that the American should receive are a real secret until now.  

The comparisons are numerous, including with his own captain, Nick Suzuki. The number 14 had just turned 22 – Caufield's current age – when he signed on an eight-season deal for an average annual salary of $7.875 million. 

Here are five other players GM Kent Hughes could look to for an offer. 

Matthew Boldy – Minnesota Wild  

Here is a contract that comes up very often in discussions as Caufield's situation is similar to that of Boldy. Both playing on the left wing, the two first-round picks played together in the American development program and have a similar performance. After 39 points in 47 games in his rookie season, Boldy added more in 2022-23 with 63 points, including 31 goals, in 81 games. It is about the same cruising speed as Caufield, who was however injured. The Wild star will earn $7 million annually through 2030. 

Dylan Cozens – Buffalo Sabers 

It already seems established that Caufield will make less money than Suzuki, as he has yet to prove his worth as much as the Ontarian so far. A contract similar to that of Cozens (8 years/$7.1 million), who plays on the other hand in the center, seems to be a good possibility. With a team that hasn't made the playoffs in a while, the Yukon native amassed 68 points in the most recent campaign. If he hadn't been limited to 46 games, that's about what Caufield could have produced. 

Tim Stützle – Ottawa Senators < /p>

If we go to the upper range, the Senators seem to have made a very good move by securing the services of Stützle until 2031 with a salary of $8.35 million. The young German racked up 90 points, hitting the target 39 times in passing. Caufield could have scored 45, which would have put him in the top 10 in the National Hockey League (NHL). Has the money the “Sens” shelled out for Stützle now become the norm for exceptional mavericks? 

Andrei Svechnikov – Carolina Hurricanes 

Without breaking the bank, the Hurricanes kept Svechnikov close to them for eight years, the maximum allowed by the collective agreement. Like Caufield, the Russian is a spectacular player and a crowd and dressing room favourite, and like it or not, those qualities come at a price. The 23-year-old right winger averages $7.75 million per campaign while producing a good 60 points. Svechnikov also spent some time in the infirmary. 

Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks 

The option of a famous bridge contract, which allows both sides to agree at a more reasonable cost before the player blows the bank, is an option. This type of pact is used less and less in the NHL, but has proven useful for a few players. Brock Boeser (3 years/$ 6.65 million) has accepted such an offer in 2022. The Minnesota native is slow to prove that he has the makings of an elite player, and the Canucks congratulate themselves probably to have played it safe in his case.