On a recent episode of the Sick Podcast, Stu Cowan joined Matt Ohayon and touched upon the likelihood of Cole Caufield scoring 50 goals in a season, emphasizing that the mark is harder to reach than some may think

On a recent episode of The Sick Podcast, longtime Habs beat writer Stu Cowan joined Matt Ohayon to discuss expectations of the Canadiens’ young core ahead of the 2023-24 season.

When discussing forward sniper Cole Caufield, the topic of a 50-goal season came up, prompting the two to discuss the likelihood—or rather, unlikelihood—of the young American reaching the puck-potting echelon.

The analysts didn’t flat-out say Caufield couldn’t reach the plateau, but they did point out how few players do. Four players scored 50 goals last year: Zach Hyman, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Sam Reinhart. The last Montreal Canadiens player to do it was Stephane Richer way back in the 1989-90 season.

It’s been discussed in other articles, but Caufield has yet to reach the 30-goal mark. The best scoring pace seen out of the 23-year-old Wisconsin native was during the 2022-23 campaign, wherein he put up 26 goals in 46 games. His year was cut short, requiring shoulder surgery after lingering issues from a separation in a game against the Dallas Stars on Dec 23.

The season was the first instance—outside of the display he put up during the 2021 Stanley Cup run—where the Montreal fanbase got to lay witness to what made him the best goal scorer in his draft class. What was pointed out by Cowan, however, is that opposing goaltenders read their scouting reports and Caufield’s puck placement becomes predictable. What he’s worked on with coach Martin St. Louis is not how to be a better scorer, but what position he can put himself in to get more opportunities, according to Cowan.

If lowering the bar to a 40-goal season is an option, and is something no Hab has done in two decades with Vincent Damphousse accomplishing the feat in the 1993-94 season. Max Pacioretty did come close with 39 in 2013-2014, then it’s more reasonable for Caufield to get there. He hasn’t shown to be a perennial 40-goal scorer, but if he and the top line continue to develop positively, it’s a fair take to say he could average 30 over the next few seasons.

If it comes to the next player for the Tricolore to reach the illustrious 50-goal mark, then that’s a lot of pressure and would need to come in a near-perfect season to reach it. Ivan Demidov is as promising a prospect offensively as they come, but it’s also a huge proclamation to say that a player who has yet to play in professional North American competition will get there.

For the sake of this article, it’s a good exercise to remember all the great talent who never reached the halfway to one-hundred-scoring mark in their NHL tenure. Names that include Patrick Kane, Joe Pavelski, Mat Sundin, Wendel Clark, and so on.