Rocket-contending Caufield looks for more offence: 'I don’t think I’m shooting enough'
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Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield is currently tied for the NHL lead in goals with 12 in 16 games this season.
The 23-year-old sniper is tied atop the Rocket Richard Trophy race with four other players: Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen, the Florida Panthers’ Sam Reinhart, Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander, and perennial Rocket Trophy contender, Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers.
Despite scoring at a 60-goal pace early in the season, Caufield does not put much stock in his his early goal total and adds that he has room to improve with his current level of play.
“It’s November, there’s not much to it. I still want to be better away from the puck and refine that side of my game a little bit more but it feels pretty good right now for sure,” Caufield told reporters. “I don’t think I’m shooting enough, to be honest with you.”
“I’m not surprised that he’s scoring this much. He always finds the right areas and we’re always looking for him in dangerous positions and he seems to be there,” said Habs captain Nick Suzuki. “He’s doing a great job of putting the puck in the net and helping us win games. He’s having fun doing it and working hard so he’s setting a good example.”
Caufield scored two goals in the Canadiens’ 7-5 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, helping the team end a six-game winless streak and snapping a personal four-game goalless drought in the process.
Caufield fired seven total shots on net during his goal drought and managed to find the back of the net on his only two shot attempts on Monday. The Mosinee, Wis. native sits 76th in the NHL in shots on goal.
“Puck luck could be one thing but those are things we go through, where you could have a lot of shots and no goals. I’m not going to complain. Like I said, I just want to be better away from the puck and hopefully create more chances to find more goals,” Caufield said.
Caufield was moved off his usual top-line position next to Suzuki following last week’s loss in New Jersey and snapped his drought on the second line beside Jake Evans and Alex Newhook. Head coach Martin St. Louis said it was time that Caufield and Suzuki were split, hoping that the time apart would help the two become better when they’re eventually re-united.
“I lived it as a player. I had centres that I had great chemistry with and produced with. Every now and then you get a little stale and you take some time apart. When you get back together, usually, it takes off again,” said St. Louis.
Rocket race wide open this season
Caufield is currently on pace to shatter his career-high of 28 goals he set in 82 games played last season. His 16-game pace this year projects to 62 goals - and just five assists - over 82 games.
Injured Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews remains the favourite to repeat as the Rocket Richard Trophy winner, but has dropped to +400 odds at FanDuel. Matthews has five goals this season and his status for Saturday's game against the Edmonton Oilers remains uncertain.
Draisaitl, who has 12 goals through 16 games, is second in the betting odds at +600. Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, with 11 goals, is third at +700, followed by Reinhart at +800 and Minnesota Wild standout Kirill Kaprizov (nine goals) and Rantanen, who are +850.
Caufield is tied for the seventh-best odds at +1000, along with Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, who has seven goals through 17 games.