Player Discussion How many goals will Cole Caufield score this season?

[Redux91]

Even just hitting 40 is an enormous Montreal Canadiens feat honestly

Absolutely do not wanna pressure this guy to 'gotta tet to hit 50 every year!'
Just keep playing great
Topping out as a 40g 40a guy isn't the worst thing in the world at all lol

 

[Andrei79]

Even just hitting 40 is an enormous Montreal Canadiens feat honestly

Absolutely do not wanna pressure this guy to 'gotta tet to hit 50 every year!'
Just keep playing great
Topping out as a 40g 40a guy isn't the worst thing in the world at all lol

A few less goals if it means playing so well in every other parts of his game is perfectly fine. The playoffs require that sort of "sacrifice".

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

People claiming MSL is dumb are only projecting.

MSL is helping them to play better as individuals, which would inevitably upgrade how they play as a group.

All those comments about -no structure- -no defensive play- were simply misguided hot takes.

I think there's some truth to us being unstructured at the start of the year. MSL was introducing a new system and it seems to have taken a while to get used to it.

But I totally agree that the criticisms of him were way over the top. Moreover, so many of his critics couldn't give concrete arguemnts as to why he was poor. It was 'we're losing so he sucks' type posts. Totally ignoring the injury issues and Kirby Dach struggling to find his form.

Key players have advanced very well under him. Slaf's second half coming out party is likely a result of coaching as you're now seeing him average 220 shots per 82 vs 110 in the first half. Obviously credit to the player for listening but there's no doubt that the coaches encouraged him to shoot a lot more. That's resulted in way more opportunity and better stats. Caufield (as has been well documented) was well on his way to bustville under Ducharme. MSL came in and let him play his game.

And that's an underrated skill. So many coaches want to change the player. Therrien for example wanted PK Subban to dump and chase. He wanted Galchenyuk to 'grind' whatever that means... He didn't let players play to their strengths. How many years did we see us forcing skilled players to trap or grind or dump and chase or whatever... it's like we were allergic to skill. MSL doesn't do that. It may not seem like a big deal but it is. Staying out of the way is an underappreciated skill.

I don't know if he's a guy who can take us all the way. He's doesn't have the reputation of an X's and O's coach. But he's been amazing for development. I thought he was a window dressing hire but I was dead wrong. And no player has benefitted more than Cole Caufield.

I just wish he'd give him some PK time and an opportunity for some empty net goals.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Even just hitting 40 is an enormous Montreal Canadiens feat honestly

Absolutely do not wanna pressure this guy to 'gotta tet to hit 50 every year!'
Just keep playing great
Topping out as a 40g 40a guy isn't the worst thing in the world at all lol

Pressure? No. But I'm sure that's his own target. You KNOW he wants to get there.

I think he can. I've said so for a long time but injuries have gotten in the way. We'll see... he needs to get to 40 first and that's not a certainty this season.