There has been a lot of talk amongst Montreal Canadiens fans and NHL fans alike about Nick Suzuki. Many seem to believe that while Suzuki is a great player, he isn’t a number-one centre in the NHL. Habs fans would rather see Kirby Dach or an outside player emerge as the team’s top pivot, and thus have Suzuki slot in as a 1B option. However, many factors make Suzuki very capable of handling this role now and in the future. Let’s take a look at why Nick Suzuki is a true number-one centerman for the Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal Canadiens Top Line Centreman: Nick Suzuki
NHL Production
Suzuki has seen a steady climb in production since entering the league. He has posted three consecutive seasons of over 60 points, including a career-best 77 points this past season. At only 24 years old, a season of nearly a point per game is impressive, to say the least. It’s even more impressive considering that he did this on a bottom-dweller team with little support outside of Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Suzuki’s point total placed him in the top thirty in points across the league. He was 14th amongst all NHL centremen in points trailing only the best at the position. This production when considered with the quality of teammates and his age equates to a highly productive future for Nick Suzuki.
Two-Way Game
While Suzuki puts up points, he also is very responsible away from the puck. He is a main fixture on the team’s penalty kill and was amongst the league’s best defensive players last season. He placed 13th in Selke trophy voting last season, an award recognizing the league’s best defensive forward, which was eventually won by Aleksander Barkov. One voter even gave Suzuki a second-place vote on his ballot.
Nick Suzuki’s 52.6% in the faceoff dot is also a great facet of his two-way game. This percentage eclipsed that of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Elias Pettersson, and many more last season. Suzuki’s poise in the faceoff dot and away from the puck at such a young age makes him one of the league’s most complete centremen for years to come.
Off-ice Factors
Suzuki’s play on the ice speaks for itself. But when you consider all the other factors that make Nick Suzuki so special, you begin to realize that he is truly the future of the Montreal Canadiens down the middle. Suzuki is one of the NHL’s most reliable players. He hasn’t missed a contest in his career and has the third-longest active iron man streak at 373. Suzuki is also locked up at a reasonable cap hit of 7.875m for the next six seasons. This is a very affordable number for their top centre which also allows for the team to bolster his supporting cast.
What truly makes Suzuki special though is his leadership ability and poise. Not many players can handle the pressure cooker that is Montreal. But Nick Suzuki has managed to embrace it and has captained this team through a tough couple of years at such a young age. The fact that he wears the captaincy for the Canadiens at such a young age and hasn’t missed a beat is beyond remarkable.
Nick Suzuki’s production and two-way game alone should slot him as one of the elite up-and-coming centremen in the league. However, when you mix this with his age, consistent health, and the quality of the team that he plays on, it’s hard to understand why Suzuki continues to be underrated. Even many Montreal Canadiens fans don’t view him as the team’s future number-one centreman. It’s time to stop sleeping on Nick Suzuki because the Montreal Canadiens young captain is going to show the hockey world why he is a true number-one centre in the NHL.
Main Photo: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
