Montreal Canadiens' captain Nick Suzuki has been one of the top performers in the NHL this year, both in the regular season and the playoffs, despite struggling to put up points at even strength in the chase to the Stanley Cup.
It’s been a great season for Montreal Canadiens’ captain Nick Suzuki. Not only did he lead his team to the playoffs for a second consecutive season, but he also scored 101 points, reaching the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. He then helped the Habs to win their first two series of the Kent Hughes-Jeff Gorton era, putting up 16 points in 19 games and fulfilling key defensive missions. Over the last few years, he has established himself as Martin St-Louis’ go-to guy in most circumstances.
It used to be that his skills and efficiency were only recognized in Montreal. Still, his participation in the Olympics and in the 4 Nations Face-Off really opened some eyes, just like the ringing endorsement he got from Tampa Bay Lightning and Team Canada coach John Cooper. As a result, he managed to capture the first Frank J. Selke trophy of his career as the league’s top defensive forward.
This week, Sportsnet released an interesting ranking, showing which players put up the most points in the NHL when adding up the regular season and the playoffs, and while Suzuki doesn’t top the list, he’s not far behind. Despite being eliminated in the first round with his Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid leads the way with 144 points in 88 games. He’s followed by Nathan MacKinnon, who made it to the Western Conference Final with his Colorado Avalanche before being swept by the Vegas Golden Knights, but still has 142 points in 93 games to show for it. Nikita Kucherov, whose Lightning was taken down by the Habs in the first round, follows suit in third place with 136 points in 83 games.
Suzuki lands just at the foot of the podium, in fourth place with 117 points in 101 games, an impressive offensive output for a player who’s often tasked with defensive missions. It will be interesting to see what the centerman can come up with as an encore next season. Ever since joining the league, his production has trended up. Have we seen the ceiling yet? It appears doubtful. It stands to reason that if and when the Canadiens have a more menacing second line, Suzuki will have more breathing room on the ice, and his line won’t be seen as the only one opponents must contain.
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