Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is having himself a career season. The 25-year-old currently has 85 points and counting on the year, with five games remaining in the season. Suzuki has been the team’s most valuable player down the stretch and is willing the Canadiens to the playoffs with his play. There have often been questions of whether Suzuki can be a number one center on a contending team. However, his play this year has put those questions to rest, and he has solidified himself as an elite centerman. But where does he fit among centers leaguewide? Let’s take a look at where Suzuki ranks amongst NHL centers.
Montreal Canadiens Center Nick Suzuki
Top Tier: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon
Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon are in a tier of their own when it comes to NHL centers. The undisputed top two players in the NHL have been labeled generational talents. McDavid and Mackinnon are head and shoulders above the pack and deservedly have earned their own tier.
Tier Two: Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Sidney Crosby, Leon Draisaitl, Brayden Point, Jack Hughes, Aleksander Barkov
The second tier features some of the league’s franchise-level centremen. Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl are two of the NHL’s best snipers and have taken home an abundance of Art Ross, Hart, and Rocket Trophies between the two of them. Sidney Crosby is still one of the league’s premier pivots at 37 years old. Alex Barkov and Brayden Point have both led their squads to recent Stanley Cup Championships. As for Jack Hughes, he is one of the league’s biggest rising stars and just needs a fully healthy campaign to hit the 100-point mark.
Nick Suzuki’s Tier: Tage Thompson, Sebastian Aho, Tim Stutzle, Mark Scheifele, Elias Pettersson, Robert Thomas
Nick Suzuki falls into the third tier of NHL centermen. The first tier is current generational players, with the second featuring franchise stars. As for the third tier, we see the elite centremen of the NHL. These are centers who have performed at an elite level in recent years but haven’t taken that next step individually to lead their teams on deep playoff runs. Stutzle and Thompson have each hit the 90-point mark in their careers. Aho and Scheifele have been consistent 80-point guys on solid teams but haven’t won a Stanley Cup in their careers. Robert Thomas has won a cup, but it was in his rookie year when he played in a diminished role for the Blues. Elias Pettersson has hit triple digits in his career but is in the midst of an extremely trying season. Still, he is an elite player who is bound to have a bounce-back year.
This brings us to Nick Suzuki. Suzuki has entered the elite tier as of this year. The Habs captain has improved upon his point totals in every season of his career. After a 77-point campaign last season, he has hit the 80-point mark for the first time in his career. He is the first Canadiens player to do so since Alex Kovalev in 2007-08.
What Has Made Nick Suzuki Effective
Suzuki’s effectiveness comes from his hockey IQ, which has made him an elite player at the NHL level. He sees the ice extremely well, and his positioning and stick work make up for his lack of explosiveness. Make no mistake, though, Suzuki is still a strong skater. He has extraordinary balance and uses his sturdy frame to shield the puck from opponents. This, combined with his silky hands, makes him difficult to knock off the puck. He has unlocked a new gear offensively this year to go along with his elite two-way ability.
What is most impressive about Suzuki, however, is the fact that he’s doing all of this at the age of 25 while captaining the most storied franchise in hockey history. He has handled the pressures that come with the Montreal market, and his calm demeanor has made him the perfect captain for the Canadiens. Suzuki’s leadership and two-way abilities have cemented him as one of the league’s elite centremen. With Suzuki signed to a long-term deal at a team friendly number, the Canadiens have themselves a bargain for the next few season.
Main Photo: Eric Bolte- Imagn Images
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