However, we cannot rule out the scenario of an offer sheet and according to informant Marco D'Amico, from Montreal Hockey Now, we can expect a potential offer to Caufield to cost between 6.5 and 8.6 million dollars per year.
If any team were to make a offer sheet for the young forward, the Canadiens would have seven days to match the offer, otherwise Kent Hughes would get a first, second, and third round pick in the 2024 draft.
We all remember the case of Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the summer of 2021 where the Carolina Hurricanes offered 6.1 million dollars for one year, which is in the same range of potential compensation should Cole Caufield leave Montreal via an offer sheet.
That being said, it would be quite surprising if this situation arose and there is a strong chance that Kent Hughes will manage to come to an agreement with his star forward before the start of the Canadiens' training camp next September.