There’s a lot to like about Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki.
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The 25-year-old has improved his offensive output every year since joining the Canadiens for the 2019-20 season, when he posted 13-28-41 totals in 71 games as a rookie.
The next year, 2020-21, Suzuki had 15-26-41 totals in 56 games in the COVID-shortened NHL season and then added 7-9-16 totals in 22 playoff games as the Canadiens advanced to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That was followed by seasons with totals of 21-40-61, 26-40-66 in his first year as captain and 33-44-77 last season.
This season, Suzuki had 10-18-28 totals in 27 games and was on a six-game point streak before facing the Anaheim Ducks Monday at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., Prime, RDS). He is looking to become the first Canadien to average a point per game or better for a full season since Alex Kovalev had 35-49-84 totals in 82 games during the 2007-08 season.
Even more impressive than Suzuki’s continued improvement — as well as becoming the youngest captain in Canadiens history, at age 23 — is the fact he has never missed a game during his six seasons in the NHL. Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre was Suzuki’s 400th consecutive game, which ranks third among active NHL players behind Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Brent Burns (870) and St. Louis Blues defenceman Ryan Suter (481). The NHL record for consecutive games played is 1,064, set by Phil Kessel.
After the Canadiens held an optional morning skate Monday, I asked Martin St. Louis what’s the biggest compliment he could give Suzuki. The head coach had a long pause — 11 seconds to be exact — while pondering his answer. With St. Louis, that nearly always means it’s going to be a good one.
“To me, since I started coaching Nick and see him day in, day out, I’ve always been drawn to his intelligence,” St. Louis said. “For me, I feel his IQ is extremely high. Is that enough to be a productive player in this league? No, it’s not enough. There’s other stuff that you have to do. But I feel with Nick it starts there, but he brings everything else along.”
That intelligence and hockey IQ are big reasons why Suzuki has never suffered an injury serious enough to keep him out of the lineup.
St. Louis noted that it’s not just avoiding injury, but also not getting sick, and that speaks to how Suzuki takes care of his body. There’s also some luck involved with playing so many consecutive games. St. Louis pointed out that if you’re only going to play when you’re 100 per cent healthy, you’re not going to play a lot of games in the NHL as the game continues to get faster every year, increasing the risk of injury and the demand both physically and mentally on players.
I asked Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj after the morning skate how many games he figures the average NHLer plays each season while 100 per cent healthy.
“I’d say zero,” said Xhekaj, who has had surgery on both shoulders over the last two years. “You train in the summer and as soon as you come to (training) camp you’re feeling so good. In the summer you’re looking after your body, and as soon as things start ramping up you’ll never feel 100 per cent the rest of the season.
“It’s definitely a long season … it’s a grind. I think as soon as camp starts, the competitiveness, everything elevates, your hips start hurting, everything starts hurting … your back. You just got to look after your body. It’s a long season; it’s a lot of games. The off-ice stuff is really important.
“Obviously, (Suzuki’s) definitely battled injuries and all that, but he’s just played through them,” Xhekaj added. “To have no major injuries is pretty impressive. I think it’s just his intelligence of the game and how he plays the game and how smart he is. He’s never really getting crunched. He’s never putting himself in a vulnerable spot. He’s just a smart hockey player and knows how to play the game. I think that’s what helps him.”
Teammate Jake Evans also believes Suzuki’s intelligence on the ice helps him avoid injuries, but added “he’s a specimen.”
“He just does everything right,” Evans said. “It’s hard to play in this league that many games in a row, and it’s not like he shies away, either. He just keeps grinding. Tough guy and treats his body well.
“The guys have been talking — he’s like a step ahead of everyone else. He always knows where the puck’s going to go. It’s like he’s got eyes in the back of his head.”
Indeed.
When asked after Saturday’s game about reaching the 400-game milestone, Suzuki said: “It feels like a lot. I still feel like I was a young guy not that long ago. It’s pretty cool to hit 400 and hopefully a lot more.”
The Canadiens certainly hope so.