Cole Caufield contract extension: 3 things Montreal Canadiens fans can expect after star pens eight-year deal

Montreal Canadien fans got massive news on Monday morning as Cole Caufield signed a new eight-year extension.

The Canadiens signed Caufield to an eight-year, $62.8 million deal that carries an average annual value of $7.85 million, which is a great deal for the American forward.

Now, following the extension, here are three things Montreal Canadien fans can expect after Caufield's contract extension.

#1. Competitive team

Montreal has now locked up their two young core players Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and every year they are getting better. This means Montreal will be a playoff team again.

The Canadiens struggled mightily this season but are set to draft fifth overall which means another young core player is being added to the roster. Montreal is building a great young team and having Suzki and Caufield signed to long-term deals on a cheap AAV means Montreal can go out and sign key free agents and make this team compete again soon.

#2. Free agents interested in Montreal

When the free agent markets open on July 1, having Caufield signed to a long-term deal will likely mean some players are now more interested in signing with the Montreal Canadiens.

Free agents see that players like Suzuki and Caufield enjoy playing in Montreal so much that they don't even try and go to free agency, and rather sign extensions before hitting the open market.

As Caufield is a special goal scorer, playmakers will likely be interested in playing alongside him.

Cole Caufield also didn't sign for a huge amount which allows Montreal to have more cap space to sign free agents, which is something he talked about this year when asked about his new deal.

“Obviously, you think about all those things, all those factors,” Caufield said, “but, at the end of the day, it’s kind of about yourself. You put the team first, but, looking at it down the road, I think there’s a lot of factors that go in it with family down the road, life in general.”

#3. Potential 40-goal scorer

Montreal hasn't had a true elite goal scorer in quite some time but Cole Caufield is that.

The American has an unreal shot and had 26 goals in 46 games this past season and seems likely to hit 40 goals and maybe even 50 in the very near future. Caufield is an exciting player for fans to watch and having a bonafide 40-goal scorer on a team makes Montreal a threat to score anytime he takes the ice.