Montreal Canadiens: Where Will Nick Suzuki Play Next Season?

The Montreal Canadiens made a great trade a year ago to bring in Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a second round pick for Max Pacioretty. Where is the best place for Suzuki to start his pro career?

The Montreal Canadiens began a rebuild or retool or reconciliation with the fanbase, whatever you want to call it, about a year ago. They had dropped to fourth last in the NHL standings and with a little lottery luck ended up with the third overall pick in the NHL Draft.

That meant drafting Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but a few other moves also helped jumpstart the reconstruction. First, the Habs traded Alex Galchenyuk who was a fan favourite but hadn’t lived up to his potential. They received Max Domi back in that trade and he immediately proved he could handle the role of first line center in Montreal.

Then, the Habs sent Max Pacioretty, the team’s captain, packing for warmer climes in Las Vegas. The return was huge and keeps looking better every day for the Habs. Tomas Tatar was a bit of a throw-in as the Golden Knights needed to shed salary in the deal. They sent a second round pick that was originally owned by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Habs as well.

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The prize of the trade was Nick Suzuki. He was taken in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft, 13th overall and looked like an excellent prospect for the Knights. But, you have to give to get in the NHL and Vegas gave up a great prospect to get a proven goal scorer in Pacioretty.

Since the trade, Suzuki has made the Habs side of the deal look better and better. He was coming off a pair of exceptional seasons for the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL that made him a first round draft pick. In 2016-17, Suzuki scored 45 goals and 96 points in 65 games. A season after being drafted he basically matched those numbers with 42 goals and 100 points in 64 contests.

This season, after becoming Habs property, Suzuki did not disappoint. He was traded halfway through the year to the Guelph Storm who were putting together a championship contender. Trading for Suzuki proved to be just what they needed to win that championship.

The 5’11” center put the team on his back in the postseason to carry Guelph to an OHL title. They fell behind a solid London Knights team 3-0 in the second round of the playoffs, but Suzuki led the team to an historic comeback victory and used that momentum to carry them all the way through the OHL playoffs.

He led all scorers in the postseason with 42 points in 24 games. The next closest scorer was teammate Isaac Ratcliffe who was 12 points behind the surging Suzuki.

The London, Ontario native showed there is nothing left for him to prove in Junior hockey. He was excellent in the OHL for three straight years, dominated the postseason and had a solid showing at the Memorial Cup where he scored seven points in four games.

So, what’s next for Suzuki?

Obviously he will head to the Montreal Canadiens training camp in September with the hope of cracking the NHL roster. There appears to be an opening in the Habs top six with Andrew Shaw dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks. Depending on whether general manager Marc Bergevin makes any more moves with his cap space available, that spot could be up for grabs next fall.

Suzuki has the skill to play a top six role. He is a quick, elusive player in the offensive zone who can create plays for his linemates and get them the puck when they find any open ice. His hands, creativity and vision are unquestioned, and should ensure he will become a productive NHL player in the near future.

That time might not have come just yet though. At just 20 years old, it would be best for Suzuki to start the season with the Laval Rocket next year. Sure,he dominated the OHL for three years, but that is a big step down from the National Hockey League.

Also, if Suzuki starts the year with the Rocket, he would be able to play his preferred position of center. His passing and creativity make him an ideal fit to play down the middle where he can set up wingers for scoring chances. Right now, the Habs have Max Domi, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Phillip Danault and even Ryan Poehling claiming center ice positions.

It’s possible that Domi eventually gets moved back to the wing, but doing so after a career year to rush a 20 year old rookie into a coveted offensive role would be shortsighted. Let Suzuki play the first month of the season with Laval and with proven AHL scorers like Phil Varone and Riley Barber as his wingers.

If he is setting the league on fire like he did the OHL, then it will be time to bring him up to the NHL and give him a chance to prove he belongs. Changing his position to right wing just to find him an NHL role and then expecting him to be a scorer like he was in Junior would not be putting him in the best place to succeed.

It’s a long term game with some of these top prospects. Send Suzuki to Laval to play with Cayden Primeau, Josh Brook and Cale Fleury and let them find their confidence before rushing them into a prominent NHL role.