For the first time since April 6, 2019, the Montreal Canadiens will be taking the ice without Nick Suzuki. That was the last game of the 2018-19 regular season, and Suzuki wasn't even a member of the Canadiens, as they would trade for him that offseason.
However, an upper-body injury will force Suzuki to miss the next two to four weeks, and Martin St. Louis and the Canadiens are entering uncharted territory. The first test without Suzuki will be on Friday when they face off against the Chicago Blackhawks.
It will be a big test for this team, and when looking ahead to this game, these are three players that are under the most pressure to try and keep this team afloat without their captain.
Cole Caufield
Cole Caufield has 377 career NHL games but has never taken the ice without Nick Suzuki. These two have been one of the better duos in the NHL the past few seasons and key parts of the top line.
According to Natural Stat Trick, these two were on the ice together for over 1,100 minutes with 75 goals for and only 37 goals against. However, in 92 minutes without Suzuki in 5v5 situations, Caufield had none of his 51 goals, and the Canadiens were outscored 7-0.
Entering this game against the Blackhawks, Caufield was starting to heat up, with three goals in the past two games. It will be interesting to see if he can continue that momentum without Suzuki.
Oliver Kapanen
Based on practice, it looks like Oliver Kapanen will be the direct replacement for Suzuki in the lineup. He was on the top line with Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky and now has an incredible opportunity ahead of him.
In his rookie season, Kapanen was productive but fell out of the lineup in the playoffs. He missed the beginning of this season due to an injury but returned two games ago.
For Kapanen, he won't be on the top line long-term, but he might have a chance to show he can return to being the 2C that the Canadiens desperately need. Once they are fully healthy, if Kapanen plays well, the Canadiens could go back to a lineup that includes Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov.
Lane Hutson
After Nick Suzuki, there may not be a better player at setting up teammates for goals than Lane Hutson. Last season, the Canadiens' top defenseman was second on the team in assists with 66, with 34 of them being the first assist.
Hutson certainly has shown he can be a difference-maker, and without Suzuki, he is going to need to deliver more. However, if he can replace some of that production, it certainly strengthens his case to be a Norris Trophy winner this season.
It is tough to know what to expect from the Montreal Canadiens without Nick Suzuki because they haven't had this kind of challenge in over five seasons. However, the pressure will be on these three initially to step up and deliver big-time performances if they want to stay afloat until the captain is back.
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