When Nick Suzuki was named captain of the Montreal Canadiens this off-season, there was concern about how a young player like Suzuki could handle the added pressure. Of course, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more demanding place to play in the NHL, and it only becomes more challenging when factors like captaincy are added in. But nobody seemed to tell that to the Canadiens captain, as he reached a new career high in points in Montreal’s victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
Suzuki’s previous career high was 61 points, a mark he reached in 82 games last season. The centreman is on track to play in all 82 games again this season, and with three games left, there’s still an outside shot that Suzuki can reach 70, but he’d need a couple big games. Still, 63 points in a year that has been anything but ordinary for the Canadiens should not be overlooked.
Le capitaine atteint un nouveau plateau au niveau des points🔓
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 7, 2023
A new career-high for points: Unlocked #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/oInjMGTSpP
Suzuki has been one of the Canadiens’ best players this season, but with all the injuries, he’s been forced to play with a new set of wingers almost every night since Cole Caufield went down with season-ending shoulder surgery. Prior to that, Suzuki had 37 points in 45 games, a 67-point pace over a full 82 games. Since then, the 23-year-old has 26 points in 33 games, a 65-point pace, and that includes a five-game pointless drought that ended on Thursday with a two-point performance. In other words, there hasn’t been a noticeable drop in Suzuki’s performance despite the absence of the Canadiens’ top goal-scorer.
Suzuki has improved every year, and at just 23 years old, there is no reason to expect anything different heading into next season. Hopefully, the Canadiens can add more talent into the fold and stay healthier to provide the Captain with more support. That will surely help see him reach yet another career high in points.
The Canadiens need scoring and have needed it for a long time. The last Canadien to score at least 80 points in a season was Alex Kovalev way back in the 2007-08 season when he had 84 points. It’s not unreasonable to think that Suzuki can be the next Hab to do that. It just depends on whether or not Suzuki can find another gear, something I believe he can do. It certainly wouldn’t hurt if other players also took steps forward and shouldered some of the load currently being thrust upon Suzuki. Only time will tell for sure, but Habs fans should be delighted with the development of their young star.
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