Player Discussion Nick Suzuki Part 11

[Ezpz]

Even #1 centers have cold streaks. Even Mackinnon, a legit top 2 center in the league after McDavid and the pinnacle of consistency, who's over a hundred points in 60 games had a three-game pointless streak this month. McDavid himself had a three-game pointless streak in November. Matthews had two separate three-game cold streaks with one 2 point game in between them, nearly a six-game pointless streak. Nick's four-game pointless streak in January is the only time he went more than two games without a point. He's been remarkably consistent for a guy on an awful team.

I think he only gets better production as the team improves too. This is probably the year he's had the most stable line mates and it's showing in his production. It really helps Hughes do his job too as it's hard for anyone to ask more than the best player on the team. Cole fell in line despite having better production last year, and it shows this year that it was the right call for Hughes to cap him under Nick as he's not in the same tier for game impact. I expect a Slaf extension under it as well which should leave tons of room to make a huge free agent play if anyone big hits the market.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Even #1 centers have cold streaks. Even Mackinnon, a legit top 2 center in the league after McDavid and the pinnacle of consistency, who's over a hundred points in 60 games had a three-game pointless streak this month. McDavid himself had a three-game pointless streak in November. Matthews had two separate three-game cold streaks with one 2 point game in between them, nearly a six-game pointless streak. Nick's four-game pointless streak in January is the only time he went more than two games without a point. He's been remarkably consistent for a guy on an awful team.

I think he only gets better production as the team improves too. This is probably the year he's had the most stable line mates and it's showing in his production. It really helps Hughes do his job too as it's hard for anyone to ask more than the best player on the team. Cole fell in line despite having better production last year, and it shows this year that it was the right call for Hughes to cap him under Nick as he's not in the same tier for game impact. I expect a Slaf extension under it as well which should leave tons of room to make a huge free agent play if anyone big hits the market.

“Consistency” is a word I keep hearing from pundits/experts when they are giving Suzuki props.

If someone’s pointing to a handful of games to prove otherwise then they’re really looking hard for holes.

 

[Ozmodiar]

So much crow being served up this year.

CROW MENU​

• KK > Suzuki
• Suzuki not a center
• Suzuki is slooo
• Dubois would be 1st line C Habs
• CC is the more valuable Hab
• Dach will likely surpass Nick this season
• Biggest draft need is #1 center

All read here at various points over the last 3 seasons. All obviously wrong, even at the time.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Probably a bit of a heater, but he’s definitely taken another step this year. He’s entered his prime years, IMO.

.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

“Consistency” is a word I keep hearing from pundits/experts when they are giving Suzuki props.

If someone’s pointing to a handful of games to prove otherwise then they’re really looking hard for holes.

Sorry but no. You're pretending like he's always played this way. He hasn't. If you heard the word ‘consistency’ there was a reason for it.

He's been a streaky player throughout his career. It hasn't been a "handful of games" either, he's been that way for years. Good solid player who'd shown he has another gear but showed it in streaks.

What we're seeing since the break is awesome and he deserves props. It's a big jump in play and hopefully we see this going forward.

 

[beowulf]

Sorry but no. You're pretending like he's always played this way. He hasn't. If you heard the word ‘consistency’ there was a reason for it.

He's been a streaky player throughout his career. It hasn't been a "handful of games" either, he's been that way for years. Good solid player who'd shown he has another gear but showed it in streaks.

What we're seeing since the break is awesome and he deserves props. It's a big jump in play and hopefully we see this going forward.

Has he scored like this no, but he has always been improving since his first game IMO. I would not be surprised if he stayed at about a point per game for the next few years. At least I hope he does. all while performing his other center duties very well also.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Has he scored like this no, but he has always been improving since his first game IMO. I would not be surprised if he stayed at about a point per game for the next few years. At least I hope he does. all while performing his other center duties very well also.

He's always had it in him to be a point per game player. And at times he's shown he can exceed that.

Look at the way he's playing right now. Even when his linemates don't show up he's leading the way. THAT's what a legit good number one center looks like. He showed that last year at the beginning too before trailing off.

All players are streaky but some players are streakier than others. Nicke's been especially streaky and there's nothing wrong with saying so. It's always been about consistency with him. But he's also never played this well. Sometimes it takes a little longer for a switch to go off and then a player just 'arrives.'

Maybe that's the case now. I thought he'd arrived last year but then his play dropped off. This season he was his usual mid 60 point self and then something clicked. The back half o the season has been really good. You can chalk some up to luck (33 percent of what he's shooting is going into the net) but there's no doubt that he's playing better as well. And he's doing it whether his linemates are playing well or not. I don't think he's going to be an 82 goal guy but 80+ points going forward would be nice.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

LG truly gonna die on this hill

no sample is large enough, I will dodge the question forever!!!

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

LG truly gonna die on this hill

no sample is large enough, I will dodge the question forever!!!

On the contrary, he’s been badass. This could be him just going next level. I didn’t think he’s do it but he’s been fantastic and I’m happy to say so.

 

[Miller Time]

Sorry but no. You're pretending like he's always played this way. He hasn't. If you heard the word ‘consistency’ there was a reason for it.

He's been a streaky player throughout his career. It hasn't been a "handful of games" either, he's been that way for years. Good solid player who'd shown he has another gear but showed it in streaks.

What we're seeing since the break is awesome and he deserves props. It's a big jump in play and hopefully we see this going forwa

The "streaky" narrative is kinda silly and speaks to the issue with small sample sizes.

If anything, his progress has been remarkably steady as a young player. He's had no control on the environment around him.

The level of play we are seeing now was quite evident to be in his future for some time... Some just refused to, or couldn't see it.

And he's got another step, or two, in him. Maurice was not out of line to compare him to Barkov... As he continues to refine his game and KH keeps upgrading the roster, we'll see Suzuki step into the elite 1C discussion. Book it

 

[Redux91]

Even #1 centers have cold streaks. Even Mackinnon, a legit top 2 center in the league after McDavid and the pinnacle of consistency, who's over a hundred points in 60 games had a three-game pointless streak this month. McDavid himself had a three-game pointless streak in November. Matthews had two separate three-game cold streaks with one 2 point game in between them, nearly a six-game pointless streak. Nick's four-game pointless streak in January is the only time he went more than two games without a point. He's been remarkably consistent for a guy on an awful team.

I think he only gets better production as the team improves too. This is probably the year he's had the most stable line mates and it's showing in his production. It really helps Hughes do his job too as it's hard for anyone to ask more than the best player on the team. Cole fell in line despite having better production last year, and it shows this year that it was the right call for Hughes to cap him under Nick as he's not in the same tier for game impact. I expect a Slaf extension under it as well which should leave tons of room to make a huge free agent play if anyone big hits the market.

Even Kirby won't make more than Nick,
I smell a 8 yr X 7.5M or 7.75M contract in the not too distant future
Which will be sooooo fortunate for us again lol

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The "streaky" narrative is kinda silly and speaks to the issue with small sample sizes.

He's been that way for years. It's not a narrative.

If anything, his progress has been remarkably steady as a young player. He's had no control on the environment around him.

The level of play we are seeing now was quite evident to be in his future for some time... Some just refused to, or couldn't see it.

There's improvement and then there's 11 goals in 11 games. As far as I can tell, nobody predicted that. Before getting hot he was on pace for around 65 points. Now he's among the best players in the league.

As for his environment, I'm not sure if you've seen the past few games but his team and linemates weren't doing much. It didn't matter, he still produced. That's what number ones do.

And he's got another step, or two, in him. Maurice was not out of line to compare him to Barkov... As he continues to refine his game and KH keeps upgrading the roster, we'll see Suzuki step into the elite 1C discussion. Book it

Nothing would make me happier. If this is the new normal, great. Our rebuild just got a big boost.

 

[tazsub3]

CROW MENU​

• KK > Suzuki
• Suzuki not a center
• Suzuki is slooo
• Dubois would be 1st line C Habs
• CC is the more valuable Hab
• Dach will likely surpass Nick this season
• Biggest draft need is #1 center

All read here at various points over the last 3 seasons. All obviously wrong, even at the time.

It’s good you put this season on the dach one ….. I’ll go on record on this one once again (10th time) dach will be a top end number 1 c

 

[Tabarouette]

I love Nick so don't start a war with me you have plenty on your hand with LG who is mostly wrong IMO, but I do want to chime in with the fact that a lot of us (myself included) have a little bit of the 2010s brain and PPG is still seen as great achievement but it might be overstated right now

it's really good but like, just keep in mind that we all watched a decade of hockey where PPG would put you between top 10 and top 3 in the league, while the current era seems to be trending towards *maybe* top 25

his usual 60 points could potentially, and hopefully just partially explain, the conversion to the new 80 points

 

[Saku K]

Who would have thought with better healthy linemates and a middle-of-the-pack powerplay at age 24 he would hit career highs across the board?

 

[danisonfire]

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I love Nick so don't start a war with me you have plenty on your hand with LG who is mostly wrong IMO, but I do want to chime in with the fact that a lot of us (myself included) have a little bit of the 2010s brain and PPG is still seen as great achievement but it might be overstated right now

it's really good but like, just keep in mind that we all watched a decade of hockey where PPG would put you between top 10 and top 3 in the league, while the current era seems to be trending towards *maybe* top 25

his usual 60 points could potentially, and hopefully just partially explain, the conversion to the new 80 points

Absolutely. I’ve been trying to say this for awhile. A PPG isn’t the same as it once was.

That being said, I’m not discounting what Suzuki’s doing at all. Big fan. Just stating what I believe is true

 

[Miller Time]

He's been that way for years. It's not a narrative.

Nope. Disagree. Clearly you have a different understanding of consistency or you apply the word without consideration of context.

Either way, Suzuki's progress has been quite steady and consistent from the perspective of an U25 pro athlete.

There's improvement and then there's 11 goals in 11 games. As far as I can tell, nobody predicted that. Before getting hot he was on pace for around 65 points. Now he's among the best players in the league.

Too focused on small sample sizes yet again. Assessments made against small sample sizes have minimal predictive value.

As for his environment, I'm not sure if you've seen the past few games but his team and linemates weren't doing much. It didn't matter, he still produced. That's what number ones do.

Last season Habs had zero other players top 40pts.
This year we already have two (3 counting Monahan who was at 35 when traded & past that now), with Slaf likely making it 3.

Go do some digging... Last year and this year Suzuki is remarkably productive given the Habs low scoring. #1Cs don't produce in a vacuum.

Suzuki's #'s this year are still depressed by how bad the overall roster is. Insert him in a top 10 lineup, and he'd be well above a ppg today. Context matters.

Nothing would make me happier. If this is the new normal, great. Our rebuild just got a big boost.

If you think a goal a game 11-game run is "the new normal", then you'll be right back in here complaining about his "streakiness" in no time, and likely flip flopping on your assessment of him as a #1C yet again...

Performance is about more than point output and small samples. From that narrow & flawed lens, happiness is understandably elusive.

I hope you get to enjoy this newfound realization... Some of us have been able to enjoy the clarity that we've got a solid 1C in place for some time now.

Future is bright

 

[BehindTheTimes]

He’s our Patrice Bergeron. I said it from the start. He does all the little things, but I think his offensive upside is greater than Bergeron’s. I found it troubling how quick Habs fans were to put Dach and others ahead of him. Suzuki is a special player, he will only prove it more and more as the team adds more top6 depth. He’s doing this with 1 offensive line.

 

[1909]

Suzuki is reaching his cruising speed. Depending of his teamates and line mates, he should be able to easily get over 1 PPG for a good while, and could reach 100 points some day.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I love Nick so don't start a war with me you have plenty on your hand with LG who is mostly wrong IMO, but I do want to chime in with the fact that a lot of us (myself included) have a little bit of the 2010s brain and PPG is still seen as great achievement but it might be overstated right now

it's really good but like, just keep in mind that we all watched a decade of hockey where PPG would put you between top 10 and top 3 in the league, while the current era seems to be trending towards *maybe* top 25

his usual 60 points could potentially, and hopefully just partially explain, the conversion to the new 80 points

He's 14th in points among Centers, its a big deal either way.

The biggest difference for Suzuki is largely on the PP. Suzuki has, since his rookie year, consistently been an incredible finisher and playmaker on the PP. Not great at volume, but 5 years of relatively consistent high end finishing is not a fluke. The fact that Monahan was healthy (when he was here), Caufield has been healthy, Matheson has been healthy and Slafkovsky has become an effective PP guy has done a lot for Suzuki.

I'm not sure if he's an ideal 1C for a contender, but we can't really know for sure unless Montreal has more depth. Right now he's a great defensive center and PP player with room to grow 5v5.

I'm also curious to see what he'll look like once Montreal can manage his minutes better.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

He's been that way for years. It's not a narrative.

There's improvement and then there's 11 goals in 11 games. As far as I can tell, nobody predicted that. Before getting hot he was on pace for around 65 points. Now he's among the best players in the league.

As for his environment, I'm not sure if you've seen the past few games but his team and linemates weren't doing much. It didn't matter, he still produced. That's what number ones do.

Nothing would make me happier. If this is the new normal, great. Our rebuild just got a big boost.

Can’t see the forest for the trees. No one expects him to be a gpg player. He’s on a bit of a heater for sure, but imo his production increase has been more than accounted for by CC’s lack of hot streak. If Cole got hot, Nick likely scores less goals, but has a higher point output. Hes carrying the line atm. When they’re all firing he won’t have to, but he’s likely to see an uptick in production when that happens imo.

 

[Rapala]

Absolutely. I’ve been trying to say this for awhile. A PPG isn’t the same as it once was.

That being said, I’m not discounting what Suzuki’s doing at all. Big fan. Just stating what I believe is true

OH FFS on our club it is...

We don't score many goals or haven't you noticed.
Let me now when we start scoring like the clubs with real firepower and then compare Individual stats. Until then you are just finding excuses.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

OH FFS on our club it is...

We don't score many goals or haven't you noticed.
Let me now when we start scoring like the clubs with real firepower and then compare Individual stats. Until then you are just finding excuses.

Wow. Even when I qualify it too lol.

I was just stating it in general and affirming what @Tabarouette was saying because no one seems too realize this on here.

So I’ll qualify it again I guess: This is COMPLETELY seperate from what Suzuki is doing. Whenever I brought it up it was more in response to Slaf’s projections of him having a 60 point ceiling. People didn’t seem to realize that it was extra lowballing since most on here seem to be stuck in 10-15 year ago land where scoring was nonexistent.

Not trying to discredit Suzuki at all. Small-ish stretch but what Suzuki has done during this streak has been incredible. Hell I got flak for saying how skilled he was as a rookie

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Nope. Disagree. Clearly you have a different understanding of consistency or you apply the word without consideration of context.

Not sure how you can say this. Every player is somewhat streaky but Suzuki is especially so.

20-21
12 in 12
15 in 29
14 in 11

21-22
28 in 49
33 in 33 games

22-23
29 points in 26 games
37 in 56

23-24
22 points in 28 games
37 in 32 (including 20 in his last 13)

Either way, Suzuki's progress has been quite steady and consistent from the perspective of an U25 pro athlete.

41, 41, 61, 66 points. Yeah it's been steady but it hasn't been a huge step forward... until now.

Too focused on small sample sizes yet again. Assessments made against small sample sizes have minimal predictive value.

Not at all. I'm talking about his career as a whole. What he's doing now is well above anything he's done before. 11 goals in 11 games is insane and he's never done anything close to that.

Last season Habs had zero other players top 40pts.
This year we already have two (3 counting Monahan who was at 35 when traded & past that now), with Slaf likely making it 3.

Go do some digging... Last year and this year Suzuki is remarkably productive given the Habs low scoring. #1Cs don't produce in a vacuum.

Suzuki's #'s this year are still depressed by how bad the overall roster is. Insert him in a top 10 lineup, and he'd be well above a ppg today. Context matters.

Sure. But again, his slump last year precedes his linemates departure.

And look at how he's playing now. His teammates haven't been great and it doesn't matter, he's killing it.

If you think a goal a game 11-game run is "the new normal", then you'll be right back in here complaining about his "streakiness" in no time, and likely flip flopping on your assessment of him as a #1C yet again...

Performance is about more than point output and small samples. From that narrow & flawed lens, happiness is understandably elusive.

I hope you get to enjoy this newfound realization... Some of us have been able to enjoy the clarity that we've got a solid 1C in place for some time now.

Future is bright

11 goals and 17 points in 11 games is why this thread is packed and somebody decided to put a 'hail Suzuki' thread on the main boards. He's been awesome and it's warranted. But the idea that he's been this good all along is hilariously wrong.