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Canadiens Negotiations With Caufield Reportedly Getting Close

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Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield

The biggest priority for the Montreal Canadiens this summer is signing Cole Caufield to an extension, and it appears they may be closing in on a deal.

The Canadiens’ young sniper saw his entry-level contract come to an end this past season, and is set to become a restricted free agent if left unsigned by July 1.

The Montreal Canadiens would likely want to get this done sooner than later, as leaving Caufield unsigned beyond would open the organization up to potential offer sheets from rival clubs.

Caufield is by far the club’s most gifted goal-scorer; leading the Canadiens in goals this season with 26 in just 46 games.

With the likes of general manager Kent Hughes and executive vice president Jeff Gorton assuring fans over the last few months that an extension would be agreed upon in due course, it seems quite likely that both camps would come to an agreement sooner or later.

However, according to Tony Marinaro, those discussions appear to be reaching a rather interesting conclusion for the Montreal Canadiens and their fans.

If this latest piece of information proves to be true, the Canadiens would have gotten themselves a very valuable deal for the future.

A deal under $7.87M per annum over seven or eight years would quickly become a bargain for the organization down the line, as their young sniper looks primed to take his goal-scoring to new heights.

At the moment of his injury in January, Cole Caufield was among the top-10 even-strength goalscorers in the NHL and on pace to pot 46 goals in only his sophomore season.

Once the Canadiens figure out their power play, those numbers could rise even more; putting Caufield in the same breath as some of the best scorers in the league.

A deal of that nature will also become extremely valuable down the line, as the Canadiens need to lock up other young players like Kaiden Guhle or Juraj Slafkovsky.

Having both Caufield and Suzuki signed to deals worth under $16M cumulatively would help the club set a fiscal precedent for what stars can earn on the team and help keep the cap structure in check as the Canadiens continue to funnel in more young talent over the years.

We now just need both parties to put pen to paper; and that is always the tricky part.