Nick Suzuki has been and will remain the Montreal Canadiens' best player this season, and it really wouldn't be surprising to see him break the 100-point barrier once again.
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had the best season of his career last year, picking up 101 points and winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the league. Ever since he arrived in the league in 2019-20, he has been improving. He put up 41 points in his first two seasons (the second was only 56 games long thanks to COVID), 61 points in his third season, 66 points in his fourth season, 77 points in his fifth season, 88 points in his sixth season and, finally, 101 points in his seventh season.
Has the soon-to-be 27-year-old finally reached his ceiling? It appears doubtful. Since Suzuki became the Canadiens’ first-line center, when the Habs lost Phillip Danault to free agency and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to an offer sheet, he’s had a huge target on his back because the Canadiens are still looking for another legitimate top six center. When the Habs manage to ice a legitimate top six, the captain will get some breathing room.
Right now, when a team takes on the Canadiens, they focus on the first line; they know this is the unit they have to neutralize to win. If Montreal had two very threatening lines, the opponents would have to split their focus. We had a glimpse of that last season when Juraj Slafkovsky joined Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov; unfortunately, that was at the expense of Suzuki’s line.
Is this the year when Suzuki finally hits his ceiling? I very much doubt it. Unless, of course, Kent Hughes manages to land a top-six player that comes in to make the second line more threatening and frees up the captain a bit. From what rumours have suggested so far, the Canadiens appear to have concluded that there were no top-six centers available to them on the market, at least not at a price they are willing to pay. They are focusing on getting another winger such as Kirill Marchenko or Matthew Knies. Clearly, the organization hopes (or knows) that Michael Hage will live up to the hype and will give him every opportunity to take that chair when he leaves the Michigan Wolverines.
While breaking the 100-point barrier is no easy task, it appears highly likely that the Canadiens’ captain does it again this season. With Slafkovsky really embracing his identity as a power forward last season, it feels like he could have even more of an impact on Suzuki’s production.
The big Slovak has shown just how good he can be at bringing pace to strip defensemen of the puck deep in the attacking zone and how much of an asset he can be in traffic. He now knows how to use his big frame, and he’s hard to move from the front of the net once he sets up camp. He also has the talent necessary to pick up the rebounds on the doorstep and put them in, as evidenced by his 30 goals last season. At just 22, Slafkovsky is not a finished product, and his improvement can have a big impact on the captain’s play.
So, what should we expect from the center this season? More of the same. More leadership, more production, more defensive responsibilities; the pivot ages like fine wine and given his career trajectory, in three years when his current contract ends after the 2029-30 season, he will still be in his prime. When Hage joins the Canadiens, likely at the end of this season, Suzuki will be a perfect role model for him, and chances are, he will have a big impact on his development. At 27, he’s old enough to play that role, and he has knowledge and abilities that the likes of Phillip Danault (whose contract will expire at the end of this season) and Jake Evans don’t have.
As good as Cole Caufield, Demidov and Hutson are and will be, Suzuki is and will remain the franchise cornerstone. He’s the complete package, with elite hockey IQ and responsible play on both sides of the puck; it really feels like the sky is the limit for the Canadiens’ captain.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
