Canadiens Captaincy Can Go In Three Different Directions

If we were to go with fan votes, well the obvious choice would be Nick Suzuki.

The 22 year old is slowly emerging himself as one of the elite two-way centers of the game. Only time and experience will elevate Suzuki to the ranks of Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Aleksander Barkov, Ryan O’Reilly and Sean Couturier – all very similar players to Suzuki’s style.

Despite his young age, Suzuki has incredible poise when facing adversity. He posesses a rare combination of endurance, skill, tenacity and will which is something fans of all ages will come to adore for years to come.

Suzuki is the face of the future along with Cole Caufield as they alleviate that pressure from the older guard in Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher. Despite his shy aura, he never backs down from an interview and leads with his play on the ice rather than with his voice.

Pros: Some teams (if not most in the modern day NHL) go with their best players to be their leaders and in this case Nick Suzuki fits the bill. He has shown the willingness to lead the team on the ice and will never back down from an assignment given to him. His teammates love him and the fans love him.

Cons: The Canadiens have a history of naming more seasoned veterans as their captain. Nick Suzuki is only 22 years old and would go down as the youngest captain in Canadiens history after Saku Koivu (24 in 1999) and Sylvio Mantha (24 in 1926). It would also be a matter of if Suzuki is capable of connecting with fans off the ice, which is something past captains Shea Weber and Max Pacioretty have struggled with, and with new VP of Communications Chantal Machabée making sure there is a lot more access to the team and players, that connection and availability will be of the utmost importance in the skillset of the next captain.

What do you think? Who will be the next captain of the Montreal Canadiens? Comment below! 

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