It is easy to forget that Nick Suzuki is still early in his career, with him already playing seven seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. However, their top-line center may not have peaked yet, being only 26 years old, and one future Hall of Famer certainly has been impressed by what Suzuki has done so far, to the point of calling him a "true franchise player."
Recently, Patrice Bergeron spoke with TVA Sports and was very complimentary of Suzuki: "He has become an indispensable player for the Canadiens. He has all the attributes that make him a true franchise player" (as translated by Google Translator).
Bergeron played 19 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens' division rival, the Boston Bruins. He would retire after the 2022-23 season, but the two players overlapped for four seasons. Even early in Suzuki's career, the Bruins' star center said that he saw that Suzuki had "offensive potential."
He was certainly right, as in those four seasons, Suzuki didn't have more than 66 points in a season, but this past season he broke 100 for the first time in his career. He was the first Canadiens player to do so since Mats Naslund during the 1985-86 season.
Nick Suzuki can see the game in a way many can't and that truly sets him apart
Bergeron noted that what really sets him apart, and why he was able to win the Selke Trophy, is because of how intelligent he is on the ice: "The first thing that comes to mind is that he is a very intelligent player. We talk more and more about his offensive skills, but it is his complete game that makes him such an important asset" (as translated by Google Translator).
There is no question that Bergeron knows what it takes to win the Selke Trophy, as he won it six times in his 19 seasons. He won his first one in 2011-12 and would go on a stretch of being a finalist (finishing in the Top 3) in voting in each of the next 12 seasons.
That is exactly the type of streak that the Canadiens' fans are hoping to see from Suzuki, and it truly is not that far-fetched.
It is certainly a little weird to hear compliments from a player who seemingly had his best games against the Canadiens for almost two decades. Bergeron would finish his career playing 77 games against Montreal and had 61 points in those games.
However, that is probably why these quotes carry as much weight as they do. Bergeron is set to go into the Hockey Hall of Fame later this year, and for him to mention Suzuki the way he does shouldn't surprise any Canadiens fans but almost confirms what they already know about their captain.
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