Cole Caufield is not at the rookie camp, he will only participate to the official camp of the Montreal Canadiens. He could have been there, but the management decided otherwise. Caufield is an exceptional player, and with what he has shown in 2021, he belongs (already) to the elite of the National Hockey League. From the moment he stepped on the ice with the Habs last April, he dazzled us with his speed, intelligence, maturity and VERY sharp shot.
Despite his exceptional status and his chemistry with Nick Suzuki, Benoit Brunet indicated between the lines that a move to the Laval Rocket could be good (if he experiences lethargy) for the one who proudly wears the number 22 he (Brunet) once donned.
"If Cole doesn't do well this year, after 20 games or so... What's stopping the Habs from sending him back to the Laval Rocket with Jean-François Houle? Go play games if his confidence is not going well? That's what development is all about." - Brunet
He's not wrong, but Caufield has the kind of stuff that the Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin of this world have. Personally, I see him staying in Montreal and never going back down, simply because he remains, to my eyes, an exceptional player. How many players have his gift? He has a God-given gift that only Alex Ovechkin can boast.
In short, despite this statement, Brunet is aware of the player that Cole Caufield is, but he wants to remain cautious.
"He has a dimension that not many players can bring. He has a gift, Caufield. But he also has to be patient. He was on adrenaline. Inspired. He was doing well. He's going to the American League. Two games. Bing, bang! He scores goals. He's coming up with the Habs. They don't play him at the beginning of the playoffs, but he contributes. He's playing well. He's doing great things on the ice. The adrenaline was there."
