When Dominique Ducharme was fired on February 9, Cole Caufield, a player favoured to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year when the season began, had one goal and seven assists, and many were wondering why the team didn’t just send him to the AHL to develop versus lesser competition. He’s played eight games under new head coach Martin St. Louis and added six goals and four assists in that time, now ranking sixth on the team with 18 points.
It’s been a remarkable, immediate turnaround for the Habs’ prized selection from the 2019 NHL Draft, addressing many of the concerns that had begun to creep in about how the Canadiens were handling one of the best prospects in the game.