Canadiens' Cole Caufield turns into a $62.8-million man

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Cole Caufield doesn’t thoughts making much less cash than Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki.

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“I feel that’s form of understood on either side, too,” Caufield mentioned throughout a video convention Monday after agreeing to an eight-year, US$62.8-million contract with the Canadiens. “That’s our man (Suzuki), that’s our chief. I feel everybody round is aware of that. It’s nonetheless a heck of some huge cash … I’m not complaining about something like that. I’m excited and I’m proud to be part of this and to do it with him shall be fairly particular as properly.”

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Suzuki simply accomplished the primary season of his eight-year, US$63-million contract that has an annual salary-cap hit of $7.875 million. Caufield’s salary-cap hit shall be $7.85 million.

Canadiens GM Kent Hughes needed to maintain his salary-cap construction in place with Suzuki because the highest-paid participant and he additionally needed to signal Caufield long-term.

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Mission completed.

Shifting ahead, Caufield mentioned he needs to take extra of a management position beside Suzuki.

“I feel wanting as much as a man like Nick, who handles himself the precise method, everyone form of seems at him and with him doing all these issues — everyone simply needs to be like that,” Caufield mentioned. “I feel the tradition that we’ve, the positivity for the sport that we’ve is form of contagious all through the room. Each a part of the group lately is headed in the precise route.”

Caufield scored 26 objectives in 46 video games this season earlier than struggling a shoulder damage that required surgical procedure. Caufield mentioned Monday from his offseason dwelling in Michigan that he was given clearance from medical doctors 10 days in the past to renew full exercise. He has been skating two or 3 times per week for a couple of months and has now began capturing pucks once more. He performed his final recreation on Jan. 19.

“I’m actually wanting ahead to having this full summer season to verify I’m again to 100 per cent,” Caufield mentioned. “The best way issues are going proper now I’m not too apprehensive in any respect.”

Caufield, who may have turn into a restricted free agent on July 1, additionally wasn’t apprehensive about getting a brand new contract completed, placing his belief in brokers Pat Brisson and Matt Williams to barter with Hughes.

“On my aspect, their aspect, it’s all been dealt with very properly, very skilled,” Caufield mentioned. “With the damage, I didn’t actually anticipate something to occur instantly. We simply knew either side needed to be there and long-term, too. So I couldn’t be extra excited and I feel all of it labored out ultimately.”

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Caufield’s contract is front-loaded. He’ll earn US$9.975 million in every of the primary two seasons, in response to CapFriendly.com, and has a US$5-million signing bonus in every of the primary two years. Suzuki earns US$10 million within the first three seasons of his contract and had a signing bonus of $4,000,014 final yr with the final $14 matching his sweater quantity.

“I’m excited to be right here long-term,” Caufield mentioned. “I feel it places my household in a very good place as properly. All these issues that form of went into this ultimate quantity and years I’m very excited and really fortunate to be a part of the Montreal Canadiens for a very long time.

“I really like the best way this group goes, the mindset, the group of men that we received, the youthful gamers,” he added. “All over the place’s simply getting in the precise route. I put myself in an enormous a part of this staff constructing ahead and I feel there’s quite a lot of issues which might be rising inside. I feel we’re headed in the precise route, so I couldn’t be extra excited and proud. I feel, on the finish of the day, either side form of received what we needed and I couldn’t be extra proud. … I’m a staff participant and I would like what’s greatest for us.”

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The 22-year-old Caufield admitted the figures in his contract will be mind-boggling. He’ll earn a median of US$95,732 per recreation (greater than $128,000 Canadian) over the subsequent eight seasons.

“To be sincere with you, it actually doesn’t make sense to me,” Caufield mentioned concerning the US$62.8 million he’ll earn. “It’s one thing that I may have simply dreamed about as a child, however even this quantity in all probability wouldn’t have even popped into my head.

“Actually, it’s not going to alter something about who I’m, something like that,” he added. “Simply coming to the rink on daily basis … I’d do it without cost. My ardour for the sport, it’s by no means going to alter. I’m actually excited. The cash, it’s actually particular for me and my household. However, on the finish of the day, I simply love being a hockey participant.”

What sort of celebration plans did Caufield have for Monday night time?

“I haven’t actually made too many plans,” he mentioned. “I had a exercise and a skate this morning, so I could take a nap later.”

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