Cole Caufield entered the season as not just a Calder Trophy contender but the favourite in the eyes of many. A playoff debut like his would surely give him a leg above the competition. He looked like a soon-to-be star.

Instead, Caufield stumbled out of the gates. And as the Montreal Canadiens' season slipped away, he faceplanted. Bad habits resurfaced as Caufield desperately tried to score.

By the time coach Dominique Ducharme was fired, Caufield had just one goal and seven points in 30 games, far from his pace in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs where he was a breakout star.

Under Martin St. Louis, Caufield has posted 13 goals and 25 points in just 21 games, a 50-goal, 97-point clip over 82 games.

Caufield is shooting over 20 percent under St. Louis, so expect some regression. But his success isn’t based on luck. He’s a different player now, and it starts by shooting less.