TSN: Jeff O’Neil and Mike Johnson on That’s Hockey on what it could cost the Montreal Canadiens to sign Cole Caufield to a long-term contract extension.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Gino Reda: “You opened it, so let me follow up on that. Caufield’s a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Matt Boldy signed seven years, $7 million per season.
What do you think it’s going to cost the Habs to sign Caufield in a long-term deal, MJ?
Johnson: “Well, I mean, I think the Boldy is a good comparison. Drafted the same way. So if I look at the two players, clearly, Matt Boldy, they’re both wingers, so that washes out. Boldy’s probably a bit of better defensive player, maybe a bit better play driver, set up guy at five-on-five. Clearly Cole Caufield a better goal scorer. The hardest thing to do. The thing you get paid more than anything else to do is to score goals.
So, I think Cole Caufield can say, ‘I deserver to get paid more than Matt Boldy.’ Cause any comparison you want to make, I think Cole Caufield might be the rare case to say, you got to park my one goal in 30 games under (Dominque) Ducharme and act like that didn’t exist, cause that player doesn’t exist. We’ve not seen that guy since Dom Ducharme was fired and Marty St. Louis came in.
So if Caufield is a 40 goal scorer, and he’s a 70-point getter, that is worth probably close to $9 million, if he gets that every year. Now, with (Nick) Suzuki sitting there with just under $8 (million), I think he maxes out $8 million a year, $8.5 million for eight years. So $64-$68 million for eight years.”
O’Neil: “Johnny, let me ask you, you’re Cole Caufield. If you’re just Mike Johnson, and I know you. If you’re sitting at your cottage and somebody called you up and says, do you want the 7×7, what do you say? Cause I know what I’d say. Signed.”
Reda: “But why would he take 7×7 if the fact that Suzuki’s making just under $8 (million). I mean, I would wonder, does he go in at higher than $8 (million) right now because…”
Johnson: “He has to Gino. He has to. And you look at Suzuki, he’s centerman….”
O’Neil: “Sometimes guys I just think 7×7 makes my life pretty good and I’m okay with that.”
Reda: “I get that O, but why wouldn’t you take 8×8?”
Johnson: “But not as good as 8×8.5 O. I’ll take the 8×8. Listen, when you’re as good as he is, and Cole Caufield carries himself. O, you know it, you carry yourself like a goal scorer, you know you can score goals. He knows he deserves at least $7.5-$8 million. So I’m not going to leave $4, $5, $10 million on the table just to be nice.
He’s going to get it anyways and I don’t think there is any way Montreal doesn’t pay him something close. I think what Montreal will try to do though is to tie him to Suzuki. Suzuki’s under eight, you guys are together, tied at the hip, you’re going to be successful together, why not go like (Jonathan) Toews and (Patrick) Kane? Make the same. Get him for $7.875 when his production warrants more than that, but I think it will drag him down closer to $8 (million) than closer to $9 (million).”
Reda: “Yeah, I think he’s got to go at least $8 (million).”
O’Neil: “Lets say 8×8 gets it done.”
** NHLRumors.com transcription
