Forward Cole Caufield is one of the smallest prospects available in the 2019 NHL Draft. However, he also has the highest ceiling as a goal scorer.
The 2019 NHL Draft will be one of the deepest in recent memory. It’s led by a quintet of USNTDP prospects. Jack Hughes is obviously the leader of the bunch, as he’s the consensus number one pick. But Cole Caufield isn’t too far behind him.
Caufield is coming off a record-setting season for the USNTDP, as his 69 goals (as of April 23) are the most in any season. Last season, split between the U-18 and U-17 teams, he put up 54 goals, just one shy of Auston Matthews’ record of 55. This season, Caufield shattered it.
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Kailer Yamamoto, who was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2017, is currently the shortest player (5-foot-7 and three-quarters) to be drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft. Caufield has a very good chance of setting a new record in this category, assuming he doesn’t have the extra 0.75 inches Yamamoto has.
Draft Profile
Height: 5’7″ (170 centimeters)
Weight: 163 pounds (74 kilograms)
Birthday: Jan. 2, 2001
Position: Center/Right Wing
Country: United States
Team: USNTDP
All profile information is from Elite Prospects.
Strengths
Caufield has the natural instincts to be an excellent goal scorer. He utilizes space very well and is dangerous enough as a passer to keep teams honest. Caufield has a significant size disadvantage, but he has more than enough skill to overcome it.
What makes him so dangerous is how he scores the goals. Just like every great basketball shooter has “their shot”, every great goal scorer has “their shot”. Alex Ovechkin has the slot area. Steven Stamkos has the middle of the ice and the opposite slot area. Caufield’s shot is definitely in the slot area, but he can beat you in so many ways. He’s not afraid to score off a deke either.
Also, his ability to get open is scary. Combine this with Caufield’s top-notch skating and you’ve got someone who is smart enough and skilled enough to play in anyone’s top six. He also has some strong intangibles. Caufield has been noticeable in nearly every game I’ve seen him play. More often than not, he’s found ways to raise his game on the biggest stages. You can’t teach that.
Considering how small he is, he is a pain in the butt to knock off the puck. Caufield is elusive and is low-key strong on the puck. He’s also very good when he has the puck, excelling in transition. Caufield might have the best hands in the draft, as he has a ton of moves in his arsenal to put defensemen on highlight reels for all the wrong reasons.
Weaknesses
It’s not hard to see what Caufield’s weakness is – it’s his size. Or rather, his lack thereof. Caufield is never going to be a physical player. He likely won’t ever be that strong defensively (though it sure won’t be from a lack of effort).
How you feel about Caufield likely depends on how you felt about Alex DeBrincat. Caufield has shown he knows how to use what he has to his advantage, which is something DeBrincat had on his side.
I’m also a little concerned about who he plays with. Caufield gets regular minutes with the likes of Jack Hughes, Matthew Boldy, and Trevor Zegras. You’re likely going to hear each of those names before the 15th overall pick.
That said, Caufield speaks the universal hockey language of goal scoring. Everywhere he has gone, he has scored goals. It’s reasonable to expect Caufield to continue to do so until he stops scoring goals.
Overall Outlook
I loved DeBrincat as a prospect. It’s hilarious the same people who didn’t think he was a first-round caliber pick because of his size are now pondering how he fell in the 2016 draft. DeBrincat has hopefully given the NHL a wake-up call regarding how important size is. It means something, but skill is far more important.
Caufield has every tool necessary to be a regular 20 to 40 goal scorer if he can stay healthy. It’s fair to question his durability and if he’ll be able to avoid contact well enough to score. But so far, I don’t see any issues there.