In many people’s eyes, Cole Caufield had a down year this past season. Despite having career highs in goals (28), assists (37), and points (65). The goal production didn’t even live up to the high expectations placed on him following a year that saw him on a near 50-goal pace. However, Caufield would miss the majority of the 2022-23 season with a shoulder injury that would require surgery.
Caufield at times this season struggled to find consistency, but did produce at a high level nonetheless alongside Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. So why should Cole Caufield be demoted after a season with career highs coming off surgery? The answer is that it isn’t a demotion, but an opportunity to play alongside another gifted teammate in Kirby Dach. Here are three reasons to rationalize Cole Caufield starting the year on the second line.
Cole Caufield on The Second Line this Season
Spreading the Wealth
One of the Canadiens biggest issues last season was a lack of depth scoring. While the top line was great, there were far too many games where they were the only unit generating anything offensively, This makes it easier for teams to match up against the Canadiens and send out their top shutdown guys when matching lines. However, with Dach returning this season, the Canadiens will have some added depth up front.
Having Caufield alongside Dach spreads the wealth offensively and adds some much-needed depth scoring. It will make it much harder for teams to match up against the Canadiens as they will have two solid units up front. Guys like Alex Newhook, Joshua Roy, and Josh Anderson can fill out the team’s top six. Or even an acquisition via trade to really bolster the offence.
Freeing up Caufield this Season
Having Caufield on the second line would free him up offensively as well. It would give him more favorable matchups and therefore more time and space. Dach is an elite playmaker and would be able to fill the role of the facilitator that Suzuki has been for Caufield. Furthermore, Caufield would be the number one option on the second line. Suzuki and Slafkovsky found chemistry this season and although Caufield was no slouch either, he often found himself playing third fiddle on the line. He would benefit from being the primary option on his line and from gaining more puck touches. He will still receive number one power play time on top of this so it’s not like his playing time would be diminished much if at all.
Looking Ahead to the Future
The Montreal Canadiens have a bright future and a big piece of that will be forward Ivan Demidov. The 5th overall pick is set to come over to North America in 2025 and should immediately jump into a top-six role with the Canadiens. Ideally, a player with his talent and ceiling will be a fixture on the top line for years to come. With Demidov and number one overall pick Slafkovsky flanking Suzuki, Caufield will likely be slotted on the second line eventually.
It wouldn’t hurt to accelerate this process and start him on the second line as early as training camp this year. Forming two solid duos in Slafkovsky-Suzuki and Dach-Caufield bodes well for the team’s future. It’s important to establish that chemistry early before adding a bunch of new pieces to the fold.
If Caufield and Dach don’t work out as a duo to start the year then it’s easy to just put him back on the top unit. No harm no foul. We know the Slafkovsky-Suzuki-Caufield line works. Why not see if they can spread the wealth and give them more depth/options upfront moving forward? For these reasons, having Cole Caufield start the season with Dach may be a smart move.
Main Photo: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
