MONTREAL — Nick Suzuki, captain of the Montreal Canadiens.
Has a nice sound, doesn’t it?
We’ll find out in the first week of October if Canadians agree. They’re expected to appoint a new leader before the start of the 2022-23 season, and they’ll have to decide whether to saddle a 23-year-old, who is the first of an eight-year, $63 million deal, which is kind of a pressure – if they are willing to make Suzuki’s name synonymous with the greats who have previously graced Canada’s illustrious list of captains.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve in the role once expertly requisitioned by Gainey, Beliveau and Richard, among others.
But the captaincy and all that goes with it — being the face of this historic franchise in a white-hot market, being the spokesman for players, being the ultimate teammate on and off the ice, the leader of the space and the go-for players in the crucial moments of games – can be a devastating burden.
Do Canadians think Suzuki can avoid becoming one now?
The management hold him in high esteem, the coaching staff respect him immensely and the players feel like they were made for the role.
We think back to what longtime Suzuki teammate Ben Chiarot said about the London, Ontario native after he was traded to the Florida Panthers as of last season’s deadline and see it as congruent with most Montreal players’ sentiment .
“He’s as talented as anyone in the NHL and mature beyond his 22 years,” Chiarot told us in an exclusive interview. “I’ve seen him as a leader here for a long time; being a top player and obviously the face of the franchise here. I see a torch passing from Shea (Weber) and Carey (Price) to Nick. That’s how I see it, and I can’t think of anyone better suited for it given how mature they are and how they treat themselves.
“In my eyes he will be the captain.”
Whether Suzuki is ready to take on the role right away is the question.
Brendan Gallagher, who has been a heart and soul for the Canadians since 2013, is as viable a candidate as the team if they want to progressively position Suzuki.
If Gallagher is willing to keep that seat warm, he could be the one to turn to.
Joel Edmundson, who filled the gap left by Weber last season, has two years left on contract (three years less than at Gallagher) and could therefore be the best option to buy Suzuki some extra time.
But there’s ample reason to believe he doesn’t need it. Suzuki has shown he thrives under pressure — he’s a player with a higher points-per-game percentage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs than he has in the regular season — and making him captain now could bring out the best in him.
Until the decision is made, no Canadian story will be more compelling.
But here are four others we’ll be keeping a close eye on this season.
Where will Juraj Slafkovsky play?
The Canadians have already announced it will be in Quebec, but there’s no telling how long the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft will be in Montreal.
With the exception of Owen Power, who was drafted by the Buffalo Sabers in 2021 and returned to school for one more season, virtually every top pick of this millennium has spent most of their first season in the NHL.
Whether Slafkovsky goes down this path or not will ultimately be determined by his style of play. We envision him being given as much rope as the Canadians can extend for the start and a nine-game stint for the start in the NHL is all but guaranteed and he’ll have to earn the rest.
But we don’t see the Canadians hesitating to send Slafkovsky to the Laval Rocket if they feel he needs some time there. They’ve made player development their top priority – with a roster a few years away from being truly competitive – and they’ll do whatever is best for Slafkovsky’s development.
He seems to be on board with it.
“Camp starts next week and (the plan) will come from there,” he told reporters at the NHL’s Rookie Showcase on Tuesday. “It’s about how ready I’ll be. I hope I’m ready, so we’ll see.”
“I’m trying to do everything I can to play in the NHL,” Slafkovsky continued. “But of course I’ll do what Montreal says and thinks it’s better for me.”
We think it’s best for the tall Slovakian to play with the kind of players he’ll be with as he develops in the NHL – top six forwards like Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
But Slafkovsky’s game will tell whether or not he’s ready to continue in that role as the season progresses.
The Redemption Tour
If you’re hoping the Canadians bottom out this season and give themselves their best shot at drafting a supposed generational talent in Connor Bedard, head coach Martin St. Louis has proven to be an exceptional motivator in his short time behind the bench may not be the only person who wants to achieve this.
This team isn’t lacking in players who should be extremely motivated to bounce back after disappointing 2021-22 seasons, and these players could help take the Canadiens a little higher in the standings than most are anticipating.
Start with Brendan Gallagher, who scored just seven goals in 56 games last season and was struggling with injuries. He’s had nearly five months to rejuvenate his physique – which he felt was important in getting back to the player who regularly scored in excess of 20 goals a season – and when we got in touch with him last week he said he did feel good and ready.
Mike Hoffman, Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia are three players who are best prepared to offer something far better than what we’ve seen of them for most of the games they played with the Canadiens last season. All three are paid for mid-six production and reliability, and none of them delivered that.
Hoffman, who signed a three-year, $13.5 million deal with the Canadiens in the summer of 2021, is just two seasons away from 29 goals in 69 games and needs to get much closer to that player than he did in his first 67 games in bleu, blanc and rouge. Dvorak’s two-way play, which only increased in the back half of last season after struggling mightily out of goal, must be strong enough to isolate younger centers on the team. And Armia, who scored just six goals in 60 games after signing a four-year, $13.6 million contract, needs a mulligan.
Big Finn, Dvorak, Hoffman and Gallagher aren’t the only Canadians who need to do better in the fall. Josh Anderson had a respectable 19 goals in 69 games last season, but the expectation is that — having signed a seven-year, $38.5 million deal with the team in 2020 — he’s a lot more like the player who starred in 27 goals scored in 2018-19 season.
Kirby Dach and Sean Monahan, who are new to Canada after summer deals brought them to Montreal, also have plenty to prove.
Last Wednesday, the 21-year-old Dach signed a lucrative new contract that mostly pays him for his potential, and he can make an immediate good deal with a fresh start under St. Louis.
And Monahan, who has had his second hip surgery since the summer of 2021, feels healthy and ready to contribute in a way he hasn’t been able to over the past two seasons in Calgary.
“I think this summer is a big one for me,” Monahan said in his first media appearance as a Canadian on August 18. “I had surgery earlier than the year before so I’ve put a lot into it. I’m working this summer and I’m back on the ice four times a week now. It’s taken a long time to feel healthy so I’m looking forward to playing hockey at a high level again and I’m really excited to join the Canadians.”
The Defense Youth Movement
Kaiden Guhle (20), Justin Barron (20) and Jordan Harris (22) are the first three of several young defensemen hoping to play full-time for the Canadiens this season.
Seats are open with Joel Edmundson, Mike Matheson, David Savard and Chris Wideman being the only veterans on Montreal’s blue line. The competition for the time alongside them will be followed for the entire 2022-23 season.
Expect a rotation that will see Guhle, Harris and Barron all split time between Montreal and Laval, with 21-year-old Arber Xhekaj, 22-year-old Mattias Norlinder and sophomore Corey Shueneman pushing to join them overthrow.
Canadians need to walk the fine line between results and player development here, leaning heavily on development to ensure confidence is maintained for all parties.
Goalie Carousel
With Carey Price on long-term injury reserve due to his ongoing knee injury, Jake Allen is heavily supported at the Montreal net.
How well he will be prepared for the workload after a series of groin injuries limited the 32-year-old to just 35 appearances last season is questionable.
If young Cayden Primeau – who had an exceptional playoff with the Rocket last spring after struggling with the Canadiens last winter – was disheartened to see Samuel Montembeault sign a one-way contract with him earlier this summer Montreal signed, Price’s updated status should make him feel the road to Bell Center suddenly has fewer construction cones to deal with.
How well Allen, Montembeault and Primeau can do is an important question ahead of training camp. And how the competition evolves over the course of the season will largely determine how Hughes and the frontrunners attempt to manage Price’s likely absence going forward.
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