Montreal Canadiens: Is Nick Suzuki in the same boat as Alex Galchenyuk?
The Montreal Canadiens struggled with finding out whether Alex Galchenyuk was a centre or a winger and Nick Suzuki may have the same debate heading his way.
The Alex Galchenyuk era with the Montreal Canadiens was a draining one. Galchenyuk was selected third overall in 2012 after having an injured season in Sarnia that saw him put up an incredible total of 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points in 33 games. He was meant to be the beginning of an upcoming age within the organization, and that feeling grew even stronger after making the team out of camp for the lockout-shortened season.
But like all drafted centres, Galchenyuk had to answer the question as to whether he could do it in the NHL. The Habs kept him on the wing for his first three years where his offensive production continued to grow. It wasn’t until the 2015-16 campaign when Galchenyuk would get his first true shot at centre.
Galchenyuk did spend a set of games on Lars Ellers‘ wing that year, but the combination of him down the middle with Max Pacioretty on his left worked. It resulted in a career year scoring 30 goals and adding 56 points.
The centre storyline took a massive hit after injuries cost Galchenyuk games while a bad first impression on Claude Julien made him playing centre a non-conversation starter.
Jonathan Drouin joined the Montreal Canadiens, and the focus shifted to him as the next franchise centre. Galchenyuk, on the other hand, was eventually moved to Arizona in exchange for Max Domi (great trade by the way) and the rest is history.
Why is this important? What does Alex Galchenyuk have to do with the Habs now that he’s two teams removed from Montreal?
Nick Suzuki is a prospect the Habs are dying to get in the professional realm of hockey. He put up 94 points in 59 games between the Owen Sound Attack and Guelph Storm along with a trip to the World Junior Hockey Championships for Team Canada.
Suzuki really took off in the playoffs helping Guelph win the J. Ross Robertson Cup. He led the league in playoff scoring with 16 goals and 26 assists in 24 games and was recognized as the playoff MVP. Speaking of his production, Suzuki’s 42-point performance is tied for eighth in most points in a single OHL playoff sitting only two behind Mitch Marner back in 2016.
The Guelph Storm came up short in the Memorial Cup, but Suzuki still had his moments to shine finishing second in the tournament with seven points.
He has the speed, the skating, the hands, and the awareness to excel in the NHL and it’ll be interesting to see what he does next season. The only “issue” is the start of the debates that made Galchenyuk’s career with the Montreal Canadiens so exhausting:
Is Nick Suzuki an NHL centre or is he better off on the wing?
Right now, it’s split with many having confidence in Suzuki being able to play either position. Marc Bergevin hasn’t committed to a certain spot for Suzuki either saying it would only add depth to their system if he ended up making it there.
#Habs Bergevin will not commit to saying Suzuki will be a centre, but says it would add depth if Suzuki can add to the mix with Kotkaniemi and Poehling at that position.
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) September 10, 2018
A centre line of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ryan Poehling, and Suzuki (regardless of the order) would be pretty sturdy down the line. There was a time when the Habs had nothing at the centre position, and to see how things are only speak to what drafting, developing, and good trades can do for an organization.
That said, whether Suzuki plays centre or not will depend on a number of things starting with where he plays.
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.
More from Editorials
- Montreal Canadiens: Senators Rebuild At Crisis Point As Kent Hughes Moves Forward
- Montreal Canadiens: Jonathan Drouin Continues Charity Work In Montreal After Leaving Habs
- Montreal Canadiens: Laval Rocket Lineup Going To Be Must Watch
- Montreal Canadiens: Jesse Ylönen Contract Extension Analysis
- Montreal Canadiens: Top 31 Prospects – #31 Quentin Miller
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.
2. How is the Picket Fence?
Who knows how long Julien truly lasts as the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, but if Suzuki wants to play centre, he has to prove he’s defensively sound enough to handle the responsibility. It was Kotkaniemi’s play away from the puck, including his positioning and coverage on breakouts that garnered enough attention for Julien to give him a shot.
Kotkaniemi was able to chip in offensively here and there, but he wouldn’t have been down the middle last season if that wasn’t in check.
The same goes for Ryan Poehling. He dominated in his first showing at centre in the NHL despite it being against the Leafs fourth line. His awareness was on point and him being able to generate so much offensively came from his willingness to make sure the Habs zone was clear before transitioning over.
If Suzuki can do that, he has a good chance of playing centre with the Montreal Canadiens, he just may need time to get comfortable with the increased competition and decreased time and space first.
3. Is There Room?
Several lineup projections for next season already see Domi being pushed back to the wing after playing the entire 2018-19 season at centre. With the top line of Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault, and Tomas Tatar likely staying intact while Kotkaniemi and Poehling get their own squad, there isn’t room at centre on the team.
With a talent like Suzuki, it wouldn’t make sense to give him fourth line minutes at centre when he could be getting top nine minutes on the wing or first-line minutes in the AHL. If Suzuki impresses enough where the Habs have to keep him, it’ll have to be on the wall, at least for this season.
Who knows what will come in the next two years. Perhaps the Montreal Canadiens choose to move on from Danault leaving a spot for Suzuki on the third line. Additionally, there’s always the possibility of him staying on the wing if he is better suited there give his talents.
Next. The retool is on the right track. dark
This conversation isn’t going to stop. However, the fact that the Habs have given Suzuki the opportunity to play centre at development camp and in the preseason is a sign they’re willing to give him a shot. Many felt Galchneyuk never got a true chance to play centre and hopefully, we don’t have the same comments about Suzuki once he turns pro.