Big rumor on the Canadiens side today. Indeed, according to what Tony Marinaro mentions in his most recent <i>Sick Podcast</i>, we could see a conclusion soon in Cole Caufield's contract negotiations. He even mentions that it could happen before the end of the season. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/thesickpodcasts/status/1641394849382551558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'> </a></blockquote></div> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/DLCoulisses/status/1641482221306380289'> </a></blockquote></div> After the game against Philadelphia, Jeff Gorton was asked about Cole Caufield. He said the talks were going well, with a small smile on his face. Marinaro mentioned that he doesn't know when it will be announced, but that it should be before the last game of the season, which is April 13. So that gives us two weeks. If that's really the case, fans will have something to celebrate and start the off-season off on the right foot. It's not complicated, everyone wants to keep Caufield in Montreal and everyone wants it to be long term. Even if he is injured, he is present at all practices in Montreal and Brossard and he watches the action from the bench. This young man loves hockey. Now, it remains to determine the price. Will the CH dare to pay him more than Nick Suzuki to keep him in Montreal for the long term? Will they prefer to go for a 3 or 4 year contract with a slightly lower salary? One thing is certain, a contract of 3 years or less would be considered a failure by many. We have the chance to secure Caufield, who unless there is a surprise should be a 40 goal scorer in the NHL, for many years. If we sign him for 2 years, for example, and he scores 50 goals next season, he'll be asking for more than $10 million when it comes time to negotiate his next contract. And that will be legitimate. On the other hand, some will say it's risky to give a 6+ year contract to a guy who just suffered a season-ending injury. And that's a valid argument too. We can't wait to see what the deal is between the two parties.