Nick Suzuki continues to establish himself as a bona fide star in the NHL. Part of this calendar year also saw him establish himself as an Olympian, allowing him to leave strong impressions on other stars in the league.
"You don't win the Selke Trophy by accident," Connor McDavid said in an interview with TVA Sports.
McDavid and Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner, the latter of whom used to be on the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, weighed in on their thoughts on the Canadiens captain after getting to play with him at the Olympics.
"We were just really impressed by the details in his game," McDavid said in the TVA Sports interview. "I know, obviously, he won the Selke Trophy last year and put up 100 points and led that team to a pretty exciting season and just really impressed by his whole game. It's great."
Marner goes more techincal with the details that stood out about Suzuki and what he brings on the ice.
"He can play all three zones extremely well," Mitch Marner said in his interview with TV Sports. "Great guy in the faceoff circle. Great guy at making plays and finding open ice to him goals, and that's the type of hockey I like playing as well."
While Marner and Suzuki didn't see much ice time together, it's clear that Marner was left with a strong impression.
"Just an exceptional player with a smart mind," he added
Nick Suzuki's thoughts on McDavid and Marner comments
Naturally, for Suzuki, it was special to get that kind of praise.
"It's great to hear those two guys say that about me," Suzki said to TVA Sports. "They're great teammates at the Olympics. It's awesome to get to know them better and play with them and see what they do on a daily basis. It's always the best compliments when it's coming from your peers."
It's likely even better when one of those peers, McDavid, has arguably been the best hockey player in the world for about a decade now. As for Marner, he's had his share of Selke votes in his day, making him a fitting person to compliment on the type of player Suzuki is.
Suzuki has now reached the point where if he gives praise to another NHL player, there's some weight. For a time, he was the young player who was up-and-coming, and the others were the veterans. Now, he's a star all the same.
Before his recent injury, he hadn't even missed an NHL game in his career. McDavid and Marner couldn't have even said that for the first seven years of their careers. Neither played all 82 games to even start their careers.
Suzuki continues to find ways to stand out. It can be with his defense or his offense, or even with how he represents his country. All of that has garnered the attention of the best.
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