By accepting Monday morning a contract of 62.8 million for eight years from the Canadian, for an average annual salary of 7.8 million, Cole Caufield becomes the second employee of the vintage of the draft 2019, behind Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils.
Contract offers are an interesting measuring instrument for players aged 22 and under. Not only is the salary determined by interesting production at a young age, but the length of the contract speaks to the confidence the organization has in its young player.
Despite scoring 100 points, including 72 goals, in just 64 games in the American development program in his draft-eligibility year, Caufield was passed over by 14 clubs, most likely due to his 5-foot-7 height, before to delight Marc Bergevin, Trevor Timmins and the 15th-ranked Canadiens scouts.
His 26 goals in just 46 games last season, before injuring his shoulder, made him the top scorer in his class in terms of average output per game. He would have scored 46 goals prorated to a full season of 82 games.
If the draft were to be redone today, Caufield would arguably be a top-six pick. Jack Hughes, the Devils’ No. 1 center, 155 points in his last 127 games after a first year of just 21 points in 51 games as an 18-year-old in 2019-20, would likely be the No. 1 pick again, and defenseman Moritz Seider , of the Red Wings, the second.
There would then undoubtedly be a debate between Caufield, Dylan Cozens, Matt Boldy and Trevor Zegras, according to the preferences of each. Kirby Dach, Kaapo Kakko and Bowen Byram, if he can avoid concussions, may not have said their last word either.
Drafting a forward of this caliber 15th overall after surprisingly battling for a playoff berth through the end of the season is a huge bonus.
The CH amassed 96 points and finished 14th overall that season, in the midst of a rejuvenation phase, but were left out of the playoffs despite amassing more points than the Dallas Stars, Golden Knights of Vegas and the Colorado Avalanche, qualified in the West.
The two worst clubs in the National Hockey League in 2018-2019 found themselves almost empty-handed. Ottawa finished last overall, but had already traded its first pick to the Colorado Avalanche for Matt Duchene. The Senators reclaimed the 19th overall pick by trading Duchene again, but Lassi Thomson is still in the AHL. He will be 23 at the start of the next season.
Los Angeles finished 30th. The Kings, like the Avalanche with the Senators pick, fell a few spots in the draft as a result of the lottery. They picked Caufield teammate Alex Turcotte fifth overall. Turcotte did not develop as expected and he was hit with serious injuries. He is still slow to establish himself even in the American League.
1- Jack Hughes, center, New Jersey: 99 points, including 43 goals, in 78 games last year.
2- Kaapo Kakko, winger, NY Rangers: 40 points, including 18 goals, in 82 games last year.
3- Kirby Dach, center, Chicago: 38 points, including 14 goals, in 58 games last year in Montreal (54 points prorated from an 82-game year).
4- Bowen Byram, defenseman, Colorado: 24 points, including 10 goals, in 42 games last year (47 points prorated from an 82-game year).
5- Alex Turcotte, center, Los Angeles: Shut out in four NHL games; 17 points, including six goals, in 32 American League games.
6- Moritz Seider, defenseman, Detroit: 42 points, including 5 goals, in 82 games.
7- Dylan Cozens, center, Buffalo: 68 points, including 31 goals, in 81 games.
8- Philip Broberg, defenseman, Edmonton: 8 points, including a goal, in 46 games last year; four points in seven American League games.
9- Trevor Zegras, center, Anaheim: 65 points, including 23 goals, in 81 games last year.
10- Vasili Podkolzin, winger, Vancouver: 7 points, including 4 goals, in 39 games last year; 18 points in 28 American League games.
11- Victor Soderstrom, defenseman, Arizona: 9 points, no goals, in 30 games last year; 21 points in 44 American League games.
12- Matthew Boldy, winger, Minnesota: 63 points, including 31 goals, in 81 games last year.
13- Spencer Knight, goaltender, Florida: 9-8-3, 3.18 GAA, .901 save percentage last year (joined NHL assist program in February).
14- Cam York, defenseman, Philadelphia: 20 points, including two goals, in 54 games last year; 13 points in 20 American League games.
15- Cole Caufield, winger, Montreal: 36 points, including 26 goals, in 46 games last year (63 points, including 46 goals, prorated from an 82-game year).
1- Jack Hughes (1st): 64 million/8 years (8 million annually), signed in November 2021.
2- Cole Caufield (15th): 62.8 million/8 years (7.85 million annually), signed in June 2023.
3- Dylan Cozens (7th): 49.7 million/7 years (7.1 million annually), signed in February 2023.
4- Matthew Boldy (12th): 49 million/7 years (7 million annually), signed in January 2023.
5- Spencer Knight (13th): 13.5 million/3 years (4.5 million annually), signed in September 2022.
6- Kirby Dach (3rd): 13.4 million/4 years (3.36 million annually), signed in September 2022.
7- Kaapo Kakko (2nd): 4.2 million/2 years (2.1 million annually), signed in July 2022.
8- Alex Turcotte (5th): Rookie contract, will receive a base salary of $894,167 next season, $2.4 million with bonuses.
9- Moritz Seider (6th): Rookie contract, will receive a base salary of $863,333 next season, $1.7 million with bonuses.
10- Philip Broberg (8th): Rookie contract, will receive a base salary of $863,333 next season, $1.7 million with bonuses.
11- Vasili Podkolzin (10th): Rookie contract, will receive a base salary of $925,000 next season, $1.7 million with bonuses.
12- Victor Soderstrom (11th): Rookie contract, will have a base salary of $863,333 next season, $1.5 million with bonuses.
— Bowen Byram: rookie contract expired, new deal to be negotiated.
— Trevor Zegras: Rookie contract expired. New agreement to be negotiated.
— RAdm York: Recruit contract expired. New agreement to be negotiated.
Former agent, therefore presumably a skilled negotiator, the GM of the Canadian Kent Hughes has therefore achieved the feat of keeping his captain and first center Nick Suzuki at the rank of the highest employee of the team.
The salary difference is minimal, barely $25,000 per season, $200,000 over eight years, but it remains highly symbolic (source: capfriendly.com).
It allows Hughes to set his salary cap. If he acquires a Pierre-Luc Dubois, for example, it will be easier for him to justify a maximum offer of 7.8 million. Suzuki, 23, had 66 points, including 26 goals, in 66 games last year on a team without many of its best players. Dubois, 24, had 63 points in 73 games in Winnipeg with a club well-endowed with top-notch forwards.
Caufield will receive $5 million in bonuses in each of the first two seasons. He will therefore be paid 9.9 million in salary during the first three years, 8.7 million in his fourth, before seeing his annual salary decrease, without modifying the 7.8 million registered on the team’s payroll. each season until 2031.
The young man has no non-trade clause during the first five years of the agreement, but a partial clause as of July 2028. He could submit a list of 15 teams for which he does not want to be traded in 2028-2029 . This number increases to ten the following year and only five in the last season of the contract. He will be 30 then.
Marc Bergevin, together with assistant general manager and salary specialist John Sedgwick, still working with Kent Hughes, had negotiated a similar agreement with Suzuki in October 2021. Suzuki does not have a no-trade clause during the four first years of his contract, but can submit a list of ten teams for which he would refuse a trade during the last four years.
1- Simon-Olivier Lorange believes that the Canadian could benefit from a windfall in a few years with Caufield’s salary.
2- We answer questions from readers about the Quebec Nordiques, the salary cap and draft goalies, among others, today.
3- Richard Labbé tells us about his trip to Las Vegas. Who wants to go see U2 perform in a UFO-like amphitheater? He also delivers several other texts on the finale.
