In a press conference following the Montreal Canadiens’ recent practice session, Martin St-Louis shared his thoughts on Cole Caufield.

His comments surprised many, adding a slight critique to the impressive start of the Canadiens’ number 13.

It fascinates me to see that Caufield, despite scoring nine goals in ten games this season, has faced a fair amount of criticism recently.

Of course, there were already comments from analyst Pascal Leclaire that sparked significant reactions:

 

And although he didn’t go as far as the former Blue Jackets and Senators goalie, Martin St-Louis also had a few critiques regarding Cole Caufield’s game since the season began.

Martin St-Louis Criticizes Cole Caufield’s Game in Press Conference, Sees Great Potential for the Young Scorer

Here’s an excerpt of what he had to say about Caufield.

Martin St-Louis on Cole Caufield’s performance:

“I still think Cole is leaving things on the table. I think he should be scoring more goals. It’s not about taking more shots; it’s about where he positions himself on the ice. I’m glad he’s had a strong start performance-wise, but I believe he still has a lot of work to do.”

– Via Priyanta Emrith

That is certainly surprising.

He knows the game far better than I do, so I’ll fully trust him on this one. However, I’m not sure how I feel about hearing such comments publicly in a press conference about a player who has scored nine goals in ten games.

I understand that he likely wants to push him to his fullest potential (which I love), but I have a bit of difficulty with the phrase “I think he should be scoring more goals,” considering Caufield is literally on pace for 74 goals in a season with a team that struggles to score.

I think there are other players who are leaving quite a bit on the table at the moment.

 

Maybe I’m misinterpreting this, but it’s clear that Martin St-Louis has big expectations for Cole Caufield, and he seems to be “on his case” in a positive way.

I’m just not convinced it was necessary to go so far and specifically single out Caufield.

One thing is certain: Martin St-Louis believes Caufield’s potential is much higher. Stay tuned.