Canadiens assign Caufield to AHL amid slow start

The Montreal Canadiens sent top prospect Cole Caufield to the AHL's Laval Rocket, the NHL club announced Monday.

Caufield entered the season as the consensus Calder Trophy favorite, but he's produced only one point - an assist - over the first 10 games of the campaign.

The 20-year-old impressed upon arriving in the NHL last season, notching four goals and an assist across 10 regular-season contests before adding four markers and eight helpers in 20 playoff games.

Caufield won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top Division I men's hockey player while playing for the University of Wisconsin in April. The Canadiens called him up for his NHL debut later that month.

Montreal signed the American-born forward to an entry-level contract in March after drafting him 15th overall in 2019.

The Canadiens recalled forward Michael Pezzetta on Monday in a corresponding move.