Montreal Canadiens: Is Nick Suzuki the team’s next captain?
By Tyler Kotila
The Montreal Canadiens traded Shea Weber to the Vegas Golden Knights this off-season. This leaves them without a captain, even if Weber has not been on the ice since the 2020-21 season. Even with Brenden Gallagher stepping up, there are some questions about what will happen next with the true captaincy since Gallagher was just an assistant.
The Montreal Canadiens will have to select a new name to don the “C” on his sweater when the 2022-23 season finally rolls around. If the team does not want to reward a veteran like Gallagher, they need to turn to one of the team’s younger players.
Handing off the captaincy to a younger player like Kirby Dach, who just joined the team after an off-season trade, is not the guy. But the Habs recently signed one of their young guns to a long-term deal who could fit the build of a Canadiens captain.
Nick Suzuki signed a big contract extension to stay with the organization for eight years. Suzuki signed an eight-year, $63 million contract extension last fall. The deal began with the 2022-23 season and has allowed the team to start really building, knowing they will not lose Suzuki.
The Montreal Canadiens might make Nick Suzuki the next captain.
With eight seasons ahead of him in Montreal, being one of the younger pieces the Habs are building around, Suzuki might be a good fit to be the team’s next captain. No decisions have been made, but the recent thoughts seem to point to Suzuki.
After all, Suzuki is signed to spend the majority of his career with the Canadiens and is someone the team can continue to add pieces around. Eric Engels of SportsNet recently tagged Suzuki as the player who will receive the “C” for the 2022-23 season.
Suzuki is coming off of a 2021-22 season where he produced 21 goals and 40 assists for 61 total points for the Habs. It was his third season in the NHL after being dealt to the Habs in the big Max Pacioretty trade.
He has settled in and looked like he might be a future superstar with his new squad. He’s still settling into his own and showing what he can be, but the future is bright. Engels suggesting Suzuki for the “C” is a solid option for the Habs to consider.
A young, 23-year-old player who is itching to keep improving is a great fit. This would allow the Habs to bestow some faith in Suzuki, believing in him as a leader as the team continues to take shape around him.
They have a few players signed to long-term contracts, but Suzuki is slated to be here the longest, the way things stand now. With that in mind, the Canadiens can shift their thinking forward when it comes to naming a captain.
Rolling with Gallagher is the safe move, being a proven veteran. But giving Suzuki the chance to step up and become the team’s leader moving forward has to be enticing. He’s one of those players with a lot to like in the long term.
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While the Habs still have time to name their captain moving forward, Suzuki feels like someone who could handle the role of a captain for this Canadiens team.