Cole Caufield is ready to take his game to another level as a fixture in the Montreal Canadiens lineup this season.
"I want to improve everything," Caufield said on breakup day after the Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final. "It's not just one thing. I think every day you can grow and get better. Guys in this league are really good, and every night you have to bring it."
The 20-year-old right wing scored five points (four goals, one assist) in 10 regular-season games and 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season. He became the first rookie in NHL history to score three overtime points in a single postseason and is NHL.com's preseason favorite for the Calder Trophy.
Caufield received 74 voting points (11 first-place votes) from NHL.com's 17-person panel. Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight was second with 51 points (two first-place votes), followed by Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras with 45 points (one first-place vote), Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider with 24 points (two first-place votes) and Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi with 22 points (one first-place vote).
Knight, the No. 13 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, was 4-0-0 last season with a 2.32 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in four regular-season games (three starts). The 20-year-old was 1-1 when Florida lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games during the Stanley Cup First Round. He made 36 saves in his NHL postseason debut, a 4-1 win against the Lightning in Game 5.
"I think for me the biggest thing was just going in and having fun," Knight said. "When you're in the moment you don't really think, you're just kind of going. And for me, it's good to have that experience in knowing that you've been there and that, going forward, you can lean on that a little bit."
Caufield is trying to become Montreal's first Calder Trophy winner since 1972, when Ken Dryden was named rookie of the year.
"He's dynamic," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme told The Globe & Mail. "He really pays attention to detail. He's learning quick, has a
, Washington Capitals, one point;
Bo Byram
, Colorado Avalanche, one point; Alex Nedeljkovic, Detroit Red Wings, one point.
