Montreal Canadiens’ Cole Caufield out for season with shoulder injury

The Montreal Canadiens announced that winger Cole Caufield will be out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.

There isn’t any specific info as to what caused the injury, and whether it was during game action or if it occurred off the ice. Caufield played 17:41 on Thursday night against the Florida Panthers, which is right around his season average of 18:03, so it obviously didn’t affect him in the moment if it occurred in-game.

Caufield has yet to undergo surgery to help in rehabbing his shoulder, but he will in the near future. It’s why there hasn’t been a specific timeline on his return, as the Habs are waiting until after the operation to determine how long he will be out.

It’s a massive blow for both Caufield and the Canadiens, as Caufield was having a career year in Montreal, with 26 goals, 10 assists, and 36 points in 46 games, with his goal total already a career-high for the young winger. He’s really broke out as a high-end goal scorer with the Habs ever since Martin St. Louis took over as head coach in Montreal part way through last season.

Caufield was a 15th overall pick of the Canadiens from the 2019 NHL Draft, and he is already in his third season in Montreal. That also means that his three-year entry-level contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and he will be a restricted free agent this offseason.

The Canadiens also announced that winger Jonathan Drouin will be placed on injured reserve retroactively to January 16th. He’s missed the last two games with an upper-body injury and has just 12 assists in 28 games for Montreal this season.

While Caufield’s injury certainly hurts the Canadiens’ ability to succeed, it doesn’t matter so much this season, as they are well outside of postseason contention. They currently sit last in the Atlantic Division with a 19-24-3 record and are 12 points out of a playoff spot.