Pat Brisson Has Confirmed a Very Significant Rumor and it Could Have a Major Impact on Future Developments

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Joe El-Khoury
June 6, 2023 (9:45)

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Yesterday morning, the Montreal Canadiens finally announced the news everyone had been waiting for, extending Cole Caufield for the next eight seasons. It is now beyond any doubt that the 22-year-old forward will be in the organization for several more years.

Cole Caufield's agent, Pat Brisson, even agreed to answer questions from the Journal de Montréal about the negotiations that took place between him and the Habs, stating he was very pleased to have finally reached an agreement.

"We are very happy. For the Canadiens and Cole, this is a good match. The team is headed in the right direction. They want to emerge from their rebuilding and they are looking at their pieces for the future. They have Nick Suzuki, Caufield and several other good young players. They are looking to solidify their core." - Pat Brisson

A rumor had surfaced over the past few weeks that Kent Hughes wanted Nick Suzuki to remain the highest paid forward for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. Pat Brisson confirmed this during his interview, stating that this aspect had played a decisive role in the negotiations. In the end, Cole Caufield signed a contract that will earn him only $250,000 less than his teammate.

While this may seem trivial, this decision to offer less money to its natural scorer could have a major impact in the coming years.

Indeed, by establishing that captain Nick Suzuki would be the forward with the highest salary on the team, Kent Hughes has reinforced his policy regarding the Canadiens' salary hierarchy. The CH's general manager will make no exceptions to this rule and it would be very surprising to see a forward drafted by the organization earn more than eight million dollars per season. This is excellent news that fans of the Tricolore can rejoice in as Kent Hughes evidently does not plan to offer overly lucrative contracts to his forwards.

"Yes, it was important for the Canadiens not to exceed Nick's figure," Brisson replied. "Suzuki is the captain. But there are aspects to clarify. Cole was five years away from becoming an unrestricted free agent. In Suzuki's case, he was four years away from becoming an unrestricted free agent when he got his extension. The Canadiens therefore had one less year of autonomy to buy with Cole, compared to Nick. That represents a lot of dollars." - Pat Brisson

Even though the negotiations seemed to take longer than expected, Pat Brisson stated that the Canadiens always intended to keep Cole Caufield long-term within the organization. Kent Hughes was even prepared to offer him a contract extension directly after his shoulder surgery, demonstrating the great confidence the general manager has in the young forward.

Credit: Habs et LNH