The next Danny Heatley is coming to the NHL!

We are getting closer to the first phase of the lottery for 2020 NHL Draft, but we already know great prospects will get a chance to prove their worth to a team, while others who were picks in the previous years might finally crack the roster. 

When the Montreal Canadiens picked Cole Caufield 15th overall last summer, everyone expected him to be a short energetic forward that could end up on the team in a couple of years. However, the kid has continued to impress, even in his first year with the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA, where he was named rookie of the year thanks to his 19 goals and 36 points. 

According to Todd Milewski of the Wisconsin State Journal who spoke to TVASports.ca, Caufield’s last year on the ice has gotten him to be compared to two talented players, Dany Heatley and Joe Pavelski. 

"I think it’s fair to compare Cole’s level of play in his first NCAA season to the ones Dany Heatley and Joe Pavelski pulled at the same time. He reminds me of them sometimes. That said, it is extremely difficult to know if Caufield will be able to bring his consistency to the NHL level, like Pavelski and Heatley were able to do. But if we focus our analysis only on the first season, I'm not afraid to say that it's a fair comparison.”

However, these impressive comparisons might not get him a ticket straight to Montreal, as GM Marc Bergevin has reportedly told Caufield to return to Wisconsin for another year before he could crack the Habs’ roster… 

We can’t wait to see what he does with the Canadiens - even if it means waiting a little while longer.