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C Nick Suzuki - Guelph Storm, OHL (2017, 13th, VGK; traded to MTL)

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I was impressed with him in U17s and in the couple of games I saw online of Owen Sound. He has a really nice hockey IQ, is a good playmaker, and can score as well. It's pretty remarkable how well he's done offensively given Owen Sound's style of play. He's a guy that could be bordering on the late first round depending on how his progression continues into next year.
 
Just did a write up on him.

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2016/03/sunday-top-10-most-impressive-born-1999.html

If I had a draft ranking of OHL players for 2017, he'd be 7th right now.

But a lot will depend on his growth spurt. He's got a pretty late birthday, so there's time for him to grow. Hitting 6'0ish would be great.

Usually 16/17 year olds fizzle out towards the end of the season, but Suzuki has only gotten stronger. His hockey sense is fantastic and he's very good away from the puck. Could definitely see him as a top 45 selection next year.
 
Not a lot of talk on this kid despite some really good numbers so far in his draft year. He's leading Owen Sound with 20+26 for 46 points in 34 games. Anyone see much of him?

Here's a snippet poached from Brock's recent OHL rankings:

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/

5. Nick Suzuki - Forward - Owen Sound Attack
Huge fan of Suzuki as a player. He's going to be a real fan favourite for whatever team ends up drafting him. Never takes a shift off. Gets after it on the forecheck, plays way bigger than his size and just always seems to make the right play. His league leading 4 shorthanded goals this year are no fluke. He's a real pain in the ass to play against. Really, the only thing Suzuki doesn't have going for him is the size you want from a center in today's game. If he had that, we'd be talking about him for the top 5 IMO.
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Riggins said:
Not a lot of talk on this kid despite some really good numbers so far in his draft year. He's leading Owen Sound with 20+26 for 46 points in 34 games. Anyone see much of him?

Here's a snippet poached from Brock's recent OHL rankings:

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/
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To add a little fuel to the fire of conversation, Redline Report just put him in their Top 10 for December.
 
This kid is putting up good numbers and everything I've read about him is really positive, never seen him play though. Whats he like? How high can he go in June?
 
I've only seen him play twice, but I liked his game both times. He was getting his chances and showed good speed. He was being used in all situations in both games I seen. He didn't look that much smaller than some of the other players on the ice, but he does play an aggressive game that I noticed.
 
Love said:
This kid is putting up good numbers and everything I've read about him is really positive, never seen him play though. Whats he like? How high can he go in June?
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Brock describes him well in his latest rankings. I would add that he's also a great skater.

Suzuki's strongest asset is his hockey iq. The puck always seems to find him and he is always in the right position to receive a loose puck and create an offensive opportunity.

I think the highest he could go would the 15 range due to people having questions regarding his height at the centre position.

His ranking reminds me of Fabbri and Beauvillier's situation during their draft years. Smaller guys (they're all around 5'10/5'11) who have great all around talent and didn't come into their draft year ranked in the first round for the most part. Like those two, I could see Suzuki getting taken in the late first round and becoming a steal for whichever team takes him.
 
Suzuki is fourth in scoring of all first-year draft-eligible players with 56 points in 43 games (1.302 points per game). He trails only Nico Hischier, Kailer Yamamoto, and Cody Glass in scoring as of tonight.

After scoring 23 points in his first 21 games of the season (1.095 PPG), Suzuki has elevated his offensive game with 33 points in his last 22 games (1.5 PPG) and has contributed to 31.4% of the team's overall scoring during that span; that said, after scoring 23 points in 13 games between November 17 and December 17, 2016 -- 45.098% of his team's scoring over those 13 games -- he has scored just 10 points in the last 9 games. The Owen Sound Attack, meanwhile, are currently on a thirteen-game winning streak; Suzuki has contributed to just 20.8% of their points during that period.

Many have voiced their concerns about his size, but at 5'11'' 183 lbs, he isn't too small for the NHL nor is he too light. Pavel Datsyuk, Joe Pavelski, Leo Komarov, Zach Parise, and Sidney Crosby are all 5'11''; Crosby plays at 200 lbs, while Datsyuk plays at 194 lbs. None of them would be considered undersized players, nor would the many other players who are 5'11''. Suzuki's height is adequate, and he appears to be rather stocky.

Here is a list of players currently in the NHL who are 5''11'', sorted by 2016-17 point totals: http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?aggregate=0&gameType=2&report=bios&pos=S&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20162017&seasonTo=20162017&filter=playerHeight,equals,71&filter=playerDraftYear,gte,&sort=points

Nick is one of the youngest players in this year's draft class with a birth date of August 10, 1999. He might actually grow a little bit more.




Here is an interesting note from Brock Otten's December 26, 2016 blog post:

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2016/12/midseason-top-50-for-2017-nhl-entry.html
Monday, December 26, 2016
Midseason Top 50 for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft

The start of the 2017 calendar year is nearly upon us and that means it is time for me to re-evaluate my rankings for the 2017 Draft. The OHL season is nearly at the half way mark (for most teams) which gives us a great indication of how certain players have developed in their draft season. Many players have stepped up to assume large roles on their club, while others have disappointed and find themselves on the outside looking in.

...

5. Nick Suzuki - Forward - Owen Sound Attack
Huge fan of Suzuki as a player. He's going to be a real fan favourite for whatever team ends up drafting him. Never takes a shift off. Gets after it on the forecheck, plays way bigger than his size and just always seems to make the right play. His league leading 4 shorthanded goals this year are no fluke. He's a real pain in the ass to play against. Really, the only thing Suzuki doesn't have going for him is the size you want from a center in today's game. If he had that, we'd be talking about him for the top 5 IMO.
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I believe his size is being underestimated. Craig Button seems to have him ranked higher than any scouting service at 17th -- one spot below Cody Glass, and two spots below Elias Pettersson on his list.

Some HF posters have him ranked even higher. Daximus has him at #9 right now:
Daximus said:
My Mid-January Top 15. Jets likely to pick in this range so that's why I did a top 15.

1. Nolan Patrick - RC/RW - 6'3 - 198#
2. Nico Hischier - LC - 6'0 - 174#
3. Gabe Vilardi - RW/RC - 6'2 - 192#
4. Tim Liljegren - RD - 6'0 - 198#
5. Casey Mittelstadt - LC/LW - 6'1 - 201#
6. Kailer Yamamoto - LW/RW - 5'8 - 160#
7. Martin Necas - RC/RW - 6'0 - 168#
8. Elias Pettersson - LW/LC - 6'2 - 161#
9. Nick Suzuki - RC - 5'11 - 183#
10. Owen Tippet - RW - 6'2 - 203#
11. Cal Foote - RD - 6'3 - 209#
12. Antoine Morand - LC - 5'9 - 170#
13. Cody Glass - RC - 6'2 - 170#
14. Juuso Välimäki - LD - 6'2 - 201#
15. Kole Lind - RW - 6'1 - 176#
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The article below was written during the week of November 12, 2016.

https://thebloggerstribune.com/2016/11/17/%EF%BB%BF2017-nhl-entry-draft-profile-dont-sleep-on-nick-suzuki/
2017 NHL Entry Draft Profile: Don't Sleep on Nick Suzuki
By Tom Hunter (@PuckDontLie)

...

That brings us to Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack. Suzuki will be one of the youngest prospects in this year’s NHL entry draft – he won’t be 18 until two months after he’s drafted – and he has the potential to be a big-time sleeper in the 25-45 range.

Suzuki is a skilled center that is currently ranked outside of the first round on every major draft list – he is a B ranking from NHL Central Scouting and an honorable mention from Jeff Marek.

It seems a lot of draft analysts don’t see him as a potential first-round pick – but they probably should. Especially in a draft like this year that is weaker than the past few and will be a huge crap shoot after the top-2.

Suzuki scored 20 goals as a 16-year old rookie on a bad Owen Sound team last season. This year he’s taken a big leap and has been among one of the most exciting players through the first third of the OHL season.

His point production this season has been great for a player his age. Suzuki currently sits 14th in the OHL with 20 primary points (10 Gs and 10 A1) in 21 games. His 24 total points rank him tied with Owen Tippett for 7th among all draft eligible players in the CHL.

Suzuki his a highly skilled center that is dynamic every time he touches the puck. His calling card is his vision and passing ability. He has the playmaking skill to create scoring chances for his teammates and has likely had his assist totals hampered by below average teammates in Owen Sound. He is a well above average skater that moves around the ice well and is dangerous offensively on almost every shift.

This season, he is showing the ability to be a goal scorer as well as the team’s primary playmaker. He has the capability to think quickly and sense the difference between a scoring chance for himself and one for his linemate – something you don’t always see from elite passers in junior.

At 5’11 and 180lbs, there will be talk that Suzuki doesn’t have ‘ideal size’ to play center at the NHL level. That talk should be dismissed as nothing more than old school scouts perpetuating their ‘big center’ philosophy. The way he skates and sees the ice, Suzuki is perfectly fit to play down the middle of the ice.

Suzuki is looking like one of those players that gets drafted young only to take off in his draft +1 seasons. Being only 17 through the draft, the potential for growth is huge, especially for a player with his raw skills.

He was very fun to watch when Owen Sound came through Oshawa at the beginning of the month. Those who watch him more frequently than I and have been tracking his progress talk about how he gets more impressive every time they watch him play – especially relative to his teammates.

...
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http://thehockeywriters.com/2017-nhl-draft-5-chl-prospects-to-watch/
2017 NHL Draft: 5 CHL Prospects to Watch
October 31st, 2016
Brett Slawson

...

Nick Suzuki

A 14th overall selection by the Owen Sound Attack in the 2015 OHL Priority Draft, Nick Suzuki enjoyed a breakout rookie season in 2015-16 and has been consistent out of the gate in 2016-17. As a first year player, Suzuki stepped into the OHL and scored 20 goals in his first 63 games played, totaling 38 points in the process. In fact, his 20 goals were good for fifth best amongst all rookie skaters, while his point total ranked 12th.

What makes Suzuki a player to watch ahead of the 2017 NHL Draft is his raw abilities with the puck. A 5’11”, 185-pound center, Suzuki has quick, elusive hands and has no trouble beating opposing defenders one-on-one. His hard, accurate shot has the potential to surprise goaltenders and is a major reason why he hit the 20-goal plateau as a rookie. Further, and perhaps most importantly, is the fact that Suzuki is a smart player with exceptional awareness. It is his vision which allows him to dictate play and create offensive opportunities for his teammates, whether it be making a crisp, accurate pass or simply positioning himself appropriately.

Projected to be a first-round selection in the 2017 NHL Draft, Suzuki is on pace to become a solid selection somewhere in the 20-30th overall range. While he likely won’t jump into the NHL come the 2017-18 season, he will be a quality prospect for a given team and has the potential to become a sound player at the NHL level.
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Nick is a heavy 5'11'' player, and he skates well. I would not be concerned about his size.

I would like to see more of him, however, before I give a definitive judgment about his game. He certainly appears to have the tools, but just as important are his tendencies. One would also look to see if he can replicate his point production from late-November to late-December; as one of the youngest players in this draft class, that would be a very positive sign for him.
 
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The only things Suzuki lacks are size and explosive skating. Other than that, he's a shockingly complete player. Very aware and committed to defence, crafty and creative on offence, and contributes well to all three phases of the game. It's shocking how far he's come even this season in elevating his game.

On the Attack's current 13 game winning streak his top line has basically tilted the ice in their favour every time they're out there. To do that at 17 on a top team in the leage, with the west this tough is pretty impressive.

Seems like a surefire first rounder (although I could see him going anywhere from 15-30 OA) unless teams think him being 5'11 is too much of a hindrance. He's flying way under the radar this season even though he's the leading scorer among OHL eligible players.
 
Get North said:
I would have Suzuki somewhere in there as well, he checks all the boxes except for size. Reminds me sort of Horvat, good IQ, playmaking ability, a true two-way player, accurate shot.
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At 5'11'', 185 lbs, he is the exact same height and weight that Anthony Duclair, Tobias Rieder, Claude Giroux, Calle Jarnkrok, and Carl Hagelin currently are.

He is already a few pounds heavier than Jordan Eberle currently is.

If he gains a few pounds, he will be in the weight class of Jonathan Drouin, Joe Pavelski, Bryan Rust, Sven Baertschi, Nail Yakupov, Matt Duchene, and Zach Parise.

Some current 5'11'' centermen in the NHL: Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Tomas Plekanec, Calle Jarnkrok, Derek MacKenzie, Leo Komarov, Joe Pavelski, Sam Gagner, Matt Duchene, Marko Dano, Andrew Shaw, Torrey Mitchell, Vlad Namestnikov, Blake Coleman, Casey Cizikas.

5'10'' centermen include: Robby Fabbri, Vincent Trocheck, Mikael Granlund, Matthieu Perreault.

Nick Suzuki is already 185 lbs and will become heavier. He turns 18 years old in August.

I don't see size being an issue for him. Size was an issue for Hunter Shinkaruk, who was 5'10'' and 175 lbs when he was drafted, but also 10 months older than Suzuki will be at the June draft.

Unlike Kailer Yamamoto, who is 5'8'' and 159 lbs, Suzuki's size does not put him at any significant disadvantage. If a team believes that his game has the qualities worth taking at their draft position, then his size should not dissuade them.

Here is another scouting report; this was written in May 2016:

http://hockeynow.ca/blog/prospect-profiles-cody-glass-nick-suzuki-dereck-baribeau-
Nick Suzuki - Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Position: C
Born: August 10, 1999 – London, Ontario, Canada
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 183 lbs.
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2015 OHL Draft - Round #1 (14th Overall) by Owen Sound Attack

Nick Suzuki is a legitimate scoring threat every time he sets foot on the ice. Tremendous puck handler who does a great job of keeping control of the puck while flying at top speed. Has a knack for going to the scoring areas and making himself open for a pass or to pounce on any loose pucks in the crease. Tremendous vision. Can deliver a tape-to-tape pass from across the ice and follows his pass up the ice. His defensive game could use some work. Needs to engage more. Very disciplined and stays out of the penalty box. Has a ton of offensive upside. One of the youngest draft eligible players in the draft, Suzuki won’t turn 18 until two months after the draft.
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JetsAlternate said:
At 5'11'', 185 lbs, he is the exact same height and weight that Anthony Duclair, Tobias Rieder, Claude Giroux, Calle Jarnkrok, and Carl Hagelin currently are.

He is already a few pounds heavier than Jordan Eberle currently is.

If he gains a few pounds, he will be in the weight class of Jonathan Drouin, Joe Pavelski, Bryan Rust, Sven Baertschi, Nail Yakupov, Matt Duchene, and Zach Parise.

Some current 5'11'' centermen in the NHL: Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Tomas Plekanec, Calle Jarnkrok, Derek MacKenzie, Leo Komarov, Joe Pavelski, Sam Gagner, Matt Duchene, Marko Dano, Andrew Shaw, Torrey Mitchell, Vlad Namestnikov, Blake Coleman, Casey Cizikas.

5'10'' centermen include: Robby Fabbri, Vincent Trocheck, Mikael Granlund, Matthieu Perreault.

Nick Suzuki is already 185 lbs and will become heavier. He turns 18 years old in August.

I don't see size being an issue for him. Size was an issue for Hunter Shinkaruk, who was 5'10'' and 175 lbs when he was drafted, but also 10 months older than Suzuki will be at the June draft.

Unlike Kailer Yamamoto, who is 5'8'' and 159 lbs, Suzuki's size does not put him at any significant disadvantage. If a team believes that his game has the qualities worth taking at their draft position, then his size should not dissuade them.

Here is another scouting report; this was written in May 2016:

http://hockeynow.ca/blog/prospect-profiles-cody-glass-nick-suzuki-dereck-baribeau-
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That's what he's listed as, but he looks more around 5'10 or 5'9. He was listed at 5'10 last season if I recall, he might have grown an inch and I just didn't notice. Regardless, it isn't easy being a 5'11 center in the NHL. Would you take a 6'2 center or a 5'11 is questions scout will ask themselves and that's why I think he doesn't check the box but he doesn't give that box an X either. Every team thinks differently, so some teams might pass on Suzuki for someone like Glass, Mittlestadt, Pettersson who have better size.

5'11 will not stop anybody from playing in the NHL, but some teams prefer the bigger players with similar skill level.
 
JetsAlternate said:
At 5'11'', 185 lbs, he is the exact same height and weight that Anthony Duclair, Tobias Rieder, Claude Giroux, Calle Jarnkrok, and Carl Hagelin currently are.

He is already a few pounds heavier than Jordan Eberle currently is.

If he gains a few pounds, he will be in the weight class of Jonathan Drouin, Joe Pavelski, Bryan Rust, Sven Baertschi, Nail Yakupov, Matt Duchene, and Zach Parise.

Some current 5'11'' centermen in the NHL: Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Tomas Plekanec, Calle Jarnkrok, Derek MacKenzie, Leo Komarov, Joe Pavelski, Sam Gagner, Matt Duchene, Marko Dano, Andrew Shaw, Torrey Mitchell, Vlad Namestnikov, Blake Coleman, Casey Cizikas.

5'10'' centermen include: Robby Fabbri, Vincent Trocheck, Mikael Granlund, Matthieu Perreault.

Nick Suzuki is already 185 lbs and will become heavier. He turns 18 years old in August.

I don't see size being an issue for him. Size was an issue for Hunter Shinkaruk, who was 5'10'' and 175 lbs when he was drafted, but also 10 months older than Suzuki will be at the June draft.

Unlike Kailer Yamamoto, who is 5'8'' and 159 lbs, Suzuki's size does not put him at any significant disadvantage. If a team believes that his game has the qualities worth taking at their draft position, then his size should not dissuade them.

Here is another scouting report; this was written in May 2016:

http://hockeynow.ca/blog/prospect-profiles-cody-glass-nick-suzuki-dereck-baribeau-
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The guys bolded aren't NHL centers, almost all of them are primarily deployed on the wing and have been for an extended period of time.
 
93LEAFS said:
The guys bolded aren't NHL centers, almost all of them are primarily deployed on the wing and have been for an extended period of time.
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I thought so.

I haven't watched the teams that they play for in a little while, so I figured something had changed about the way they were being used by their teams. I was pretty confident that Granlund lines up on Koivu's wing.

It turns out that NHL.com is just inaccurate with regards to player positions (update: it seems that most websites haven't updated their player information).
 
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JetsAlternate said:
I thought so.

I haven't watched the teams that they play for in a little while, so I figured something had changed about the way they were being used by their teams. I was pretty confident that Granlund lines up on Koivu's wing.

It turns out that NHL.com is just inaccurate with regards to player positions (update: it seems that most websites haven't updated their player information).
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Anytime I'm suspect about that stuff (because no one can watch all 30 teams significantly to tell) I just check the FO stats. If someone has less than 100 draws at this point and hasn't taken more than 2 in a game in there last 5 or so, its pretty clear. Even guys like Pavelski get deployed on the wing a lot but have the versatility to still play center.

For example, I haven't seen Komarov have face off duties outside of occasionally on the PK and I know a few sites still have Marner as a center.
 
Suzuki has been playing wing most of this season as well as the latter half of last season. He does step in and take face offs from time to time
 
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