Cole Caufield confirms it: one day, he’ll be asking for a lot more money

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Cole Caufield confirms it: one day, he’ll be asking for a lot more money
Credit: Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images

There's a great article on The Athletic (via reporter Mark Lazerus) this morning.

What's it about? It's related to the fact that salaries have risen in the NHL and that young players are making significantly more money than players who've been established in the league for years.

It's a topic that's generating a lot of buzz.

In the article from The Athletic, several players who fall into the category of those earning less than they could have were asked about the issue.

For most players, the standard response is: “I make a good salary, and I have nothing to complain about.”

But in the section on the Canadiens (who have a crazy salary structure, as you know), we saw Cole Caufield make a statement that was a bit… different, let's say.

After saying that the “team-first” culture was strong, he added this:

“There's going to be a time to cash in coming up.” – Cole Caufield

He added that right now, for his teammates, these are surely the five or six most important years of their careers, based on what they're building. The priority is to win—and to do so with this group.

That's going to make everything even better, he adds.

But we can all agree that the subtext—which isn't exactly hidden between the lines—is that Caufield's next contract won't be one where he signs for less than he's worth.

The American will want to cash in in 2031, when his contract expires.

When I see comments like Caufield's, I tell myself that Kent Hughes had better hurry up and bring in reinforcements to take advantage of the team's current window of opportunity.

Do you think the current second line is up to the task? Is the defense worthy of a Stanley Cup contender?

I also think that if Hughes takes a hard line in negotiations four or five years from now (which is typical of him—he sets his price and isn't willing to budge much) and Caufield wants more money, it could end badly.

Especially if a team in a market where the U.S. national anthem is respected were to come calling…


In a Nutshell

– Great news.

– Phew.

– Brad Marchand reportedly avoided the worst. [RDS]

– Note to self.

– Dan Milstein is no longer Vladimir Tarasenko's agent.

– Macklin Celebrini back tonight?

– Well done.

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