It’s important to note here that in these ratings, “infectious smile” is not part of the consideration. However, It’s safe to say that Caufield, objectively, gets full marks for his. With the smile in the equation his 56.5% would have been 156.5%
By the end of the year, he had no discernible weak spots; seventh-best on the team in Corsi, goals-for percentage and points per 60. He also was eighth-best in expected-goals-for percentage.
The only stat where his numbers take a dip is that he had the fourth-lowest defensive-zone faceoffs per 60. That’s not really a problem because he doesn’t choose when he’s on the ice, but it is there for a reason. The issue here with this slapdash model is that Caufield’s offensive skills are so elite that even if he was also one of the best defensive players on the team, he would not get many D-zone starts.
My bold prediction is that Caufield will top this list next off-season. He showed so much potential since Martin St. Louis took over. He was heading toward a complete bust of a season before that happened, and here he is, finishing eighth on his team.
I feel as though there’s little to write about this player that hasn’t already been said. He’s an elite goal-scorer, underrated playmaker, and fun to cheer for.
For more info on the model I used, check out the introduction to this series.
#8: Cole Caufield
#9: Michael Pezzetta
#10: Josh Anderson
#11: Rem Pitlick
#12: Mike Hoffman
#13: Joel Armia
#14: Ryan Poehling
#15: Laurent Dauphin
#16: Paul Byron
