Canadiens sign highly touted prospect Caufield to entry-level deal

The Montreal Canadiens inked forward Cole Caufield to a three-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Saturday.

Caufield, whose NCAA season ended Friday, is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, handed out annually to the nation's top collegiate men's hockey player.

The 20-year-old led all Division I skaters with 30 goals and posted a Big Ten-best 52 points in 31 games for the University of Wisconsin this season. He was named the conference's player of the year and helped the Badgers claim the Big Ten title during the regular season.

Montreal selected Caufield 15th overall in 2019.

Bemidji State upset Wisconsin 6-3 in the NCAA tournament's opening round Friday.