Canadiens’ Cole Caufield Out for Season With Shoulder Injury

Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield in 2021
Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield in 2021. Photo by Canadian Press/Shutterstock (12171587l)

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield has been sidelined for the rest of the season after incurring an injury to his right shoulder that will require him to undergo surgery.

Caufield’s injury comes as a major setback for the Canadiens, who have been relying on him as their main source of attacking power. Caufield scored 26 goals in 46 games this season, making him Montreal’s leading scorer. He also grabbed 10 assists before his injury.

Upon first arriving in Montreal, Caufield struggled to adjust to life with the Canadiens. Under the guidance of coach Martin St. Louis, Caufield improved his form, evolving into the team’s leading scorer over the past two seasons.

The winger has become the latest in a growing list of injuries for the Canadiens. He joins forward Jonathan Drouin on the sidelines, who has been retroactively placed on injured reserve, as well as winger Juraj Slafkovsky—the top pick in last year’s draft—who remains sidelined for three months with a left knee injury.

Forward Brendan Gallagher remains unavailable until February, while star goalie Carey Price has already been confirmed to be unavailable for the entirety of the current season.