The Montreal Canadiens can count themselves lucky to have Nick Suzuki on their team.
The Habs captain is increasingly proving to his detractors that he deserves recognition as one of the NHL's best centers.
Not only does he have excellent scoring ability, but he is also known to be a very good defender and prevents many goals, or at least many scoring opportunities, due to his brilliant defensive prowess.
A center of his caliber and versatility doesn't come around often.
And we still don't know if he'll be on the Canadiens team for the next Olympics, which is pretty absurd…
Based on player statistics since the start of 2025, Suzuki ranks 7th in scoring with 95 points in 82 games.
What stands out most, however, is that among Canadian players, only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid are ahead of the Canadiens captain. We can also agree that MacKinnon and McDavid are two of the best players in the world.
If Suzuki doesn't represent Canada at the next Olympics, we'll have to cry foul because it's very easy to find a spot for him, especially when you look at the table above. It's even easier to fit him into the Canadiens lineup knowing that he's far from a one-dimensional player.
He always goes up against the opponent's best players and finds ways to close their down. Moreover, since the start of the 2023-24 season, his faceoff efficiency has been over 51%.
He makes his teammates better, he leads by example for his team game after game, he has captained the Habs since he was 23 and will be the third leading Canadian scorer in 2025.
Honestly, I don't know what else he'll need to represent Canada at the Milan Olympics.
Guys like Robert Thomas, Mark Scheifele and Anthony Cirelli are way behind Suzuki in my eyes, and I'd put Suzuki ahead of Sam Reinhart and even Brayden Point right now.
Of course, Reinhart and Point will make the club, but that just goes to show that Suzuki is truly one of the best Canadian centers in the NHL.
After a while
– Lane Hutson is everywhere.
After the skating rink in NDG…
Lane Hutson was also seen in Los Cabos.
– Max Lalonde (@MaxLalonde_) December 25, 2025
– This is truly incredible. Alexander Zharovsky has already surpassed Kirill Kaprizov’s performance in the KHL at the age of 18, having played 22 fewer games (!!!).
Place a video of Jarowski on Christmas Eve and have him come out and rally GWG and two assistants on Christmas Day for a 4-2 win. He is ready to break the KHL records for goals and points for an 18-year-old player.
Here's the video – have a nice day! https://t.co/em0R6SANQv https://t.co/O36L3G35xi pic.twitter.com/VW4UBb476h
– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) December 25, 2025
– Indeed, it’s not just about Gavin McKenna. Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff could certainly surprise, but there are several other quality prospects in this crop.
David Pagnotta: It's a very, very good project; there are all the McKennas, Verhoeves and all that; but damn, there are five more guys in this draft, maybe six, who are going to be top NHL players or at least heading in that direction. – Sportsnet today (December 22)
– NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) December 25, 2025
– Meet the captains and their two assistants of the Canadian youth team.
Meet the captains! / Here are our captains!
C: Porter Marton(@OHFHockey)
Answer: Cole Beaudoin(@HEOhockey)
Answer: Harrison Brunicke(@HockeyAlberta)#WorldJuniors | #MondialJunior pic.twitter.com/xfwIakrRVT– Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 25, 2025
– Read on.
Looking back, I understand that, of course, it would have been better. https://t.co/UllcmncuUu
– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) December 26, 2025
