Swiss forward Pius Suter has inked a new two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. The 25-year-old became an unrestricted free agent when he was not given a qualifying offer by the Chicago Blackhawks. Through 55 games last season Suter scored 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points, which is equivalent to a 40 point pace over 82 games.
UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings today agreed to terms with center Pius Suter on a two-year contract. pic.twitter.com/2LLsXycHFj
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 28, 2021
Pius Suter Signs With Detroit
At the junior level, Suter spent two seasons with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. Over 127 games he scored 52 goals and 44 assists for 96 points. The Swiss national then played six seasons in the Swiss professional league in Zurich. He built a reputation for scoring goals at a high rate down low in the offensive end, below the dots and around the net. During the 2019-20 season, he scored 30 goals and 23 assists for 53 points, earning him the league scoring title.
Last season with Chicago Suter was playing the first-line centre role in lieu of an injured Jonathan Toews. He might not have been as strong of a face-off taker as Toews, but he filled the first-line role well enough to help keep the team competitive. He played a shifty game, creating scoring chances with ease. Suter set up shop in his usual scoring area, below the dots in the offensive end, but couldn’t find the net as efficiently as he did on his previous teams. He will look to hold onto his top-six forward role this fall in Detroit.
What This Means for the Future
Suter was a major rookie signing by the Blackhawks going into the 2020-21 NHL season. He played so well that the Hawks were worried what he could get in arbitration and with a cap crunch after acquiring Seth Jones, Tyler Johnson, and Marc-Andre Fleury, along with the return of Toews decided to walk away from him. Chicago’s loss is Detroit’s gain. Of all the rookie skaters that played with the Blackhawks last season, Suter was by far the most successful.
