Montreal Canadiens: Is Nick Suzuki in the same boat as Alex Galchenyuk?
By Omar L
1. Habs or Rocket?
It’s not often a prospect debuts at centre right off the bat. If so, they tend to be high draft picks who have proved they can handle the responsibilities at camp or prospects who have put in the time to work at it.
That doesn’t always happen, though. Nathan MacKinnon had a number of seasons on the wing and transitioned to centre later on, and given how dangerous he is now, it looks as if the Colorado Avalanche made the right decision.
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As it stands, Suzuki likely plays centre if he starts the season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket. Lukas Vejdemo established himself as a two-way option who Joël Bouchard can rely on defensively while Suzuki and Jake Evans can bounce off each other in a 1A-1B dynamic. That is unless one clearly stands above the other.
Suzuki’s vision and playmaking ability allow him to be a centre who can make his wingers better and set them up in the dangerous areas. Think to his chemistry with Issac Ratcliffe after moving to Guelph. Suzuki can quickly adapt to who he plays with and adjust, creating a strong synergy between himself and those he plays with.
It’s great to see that as a centre, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do that on the wing. Again we go back to Marner, who is one of few examples in the NHL of wingers who can drive a line. Others are Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov, and Artemi Panarin.
Suzuki plays a similar star, and his deceptive shots and passes will be an annoyance for goaltenders, especially if he has linemates who can finish.