Canadiens' Cole Caufield to debut against Flames on Monday

Wisconsin forward Cole Caufield (8) advances the puck during the championship game against Minnesota in the Big Ten men's hockey tournament Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in South Bend, Ind. (John Mersits/South Bend Tribune via AP)

Montreal Canadiens top prospect Cole Caufield will make his hotly anticipated NHL debut against the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

The 20-year-old was recalled from the AHL's Laval Rocket and assigned to the team's taxi squad earlier this month, but hasn't suited up for the Canadiens as they navigated salary-cap issues.

Jake Evans and Caufield will play as emergency recalls against the Flames, with Tomas Tatar back in the lineup as well. Paul Byron (lower body), Jonathan Drouin (non-COVID related illness) and Alexander Romanov (assigned to the taxi squad) will not play on Monday.

Caufield, who won the 2021 Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the NCAA, was one of the most prolific scorers in college hockey this year, scoring 30 goals and adding 22 assists in 31 games for the University of Wisconsin.

In two AHL games with the Rocket, Caufield scored three goals and added an assist.

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