NHL Entry Draft and Free Agent Frenzy completed, the dog days of summer clothing while NHL management groups take a bit of a breath before the training camps start. In this series I will try to investigate every schedule of Montreal Canadiens, summarize their last season and look ahead to this coming season. I will look at their place in the organization, their role and their possible impact.
Related: Montreal Canadiens: 3 Burning Questions on the way to the 2025-26 season
In the next step of the series I will continue to look at the forward group of the Canadiens, starting with Nick Suzuki.
2024-25 season Summary
Suzuki has been improved every season. Each. Season.
And the 2024-25 season was no different. Suzuki had a breakout year; The last season saw him 30 goals and 59 assists (career high) for 89 points, and nine of his goals were game winners, who led the team in that category. This means that he has become the highest scoring player of Canadiens to this point in the 21st century. He is also the first Point-Per game player since Alex Kovalev had 84 points in the 2007-08 season. For the fourth consecutive season, the London played in Native in all 82 games, which extended his Ironman streak to 455 games. The 25-year-old reached the 200-assist, 300-point and 400 game milestones during the year. Suzuki’s snub from the 4 Nations face-off was a point of conversation for both fans and the media, but it is perhaps the aircraft fuel that fired its season upwards. But it gave him the opportunity to rest and restore all the bumps and bruises to come from the gate.
A big reason for Montreal’s reversal this season was the dynamic game and the leadership of Suzuki, especially after the 4 Nations Face-Off. In the 26 games of Montreal after the NHL season was resumed after the tournament, the resident of London, Ontario registered 37 points. The Canadiens who earn their first play -off berth since 2021 can be immediately attributed to the captain. In a meeting with General Manager (GM), Hughes asked Suzuki that the Canadiens were not a seller. Hughes challenged him to do what had to be done before the deadline and to get the team in a play-off position after the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“It’s on your shoulders, but don’t come here to tell me not to do transactions if you don’t do what you should do. And they won five consecutive games after that conversation, and I think Nick recorded 13 points in five games. So we were happy to see that, but I was also happy to see that Nick would see and see how he responded, instead of Nick, instead of Nick, [as a player] In the team. ”
– Kent Hughes
While he was the only leader of an Atlantic Division team not present at the tournament, He showed the hockey world what he can do, and that was not only a second consecutive season of 30 goals, but also led an underdog team in the play-offs. Unfortunately, the club lost Capitals in the opening round in five games, but it did give the NHLs Second-youngest team (average) that season of invaluable value to build.
2025-26 season expectations
Suzuki is the leader of a young core and someone who gives an example to follow, just as Shea Weber had done for him while having his game talks. Suzuki has quietly been one of the most competitive players of the NHL and has proven that he can lift a team on his shoulders and wear them to their fixed goals. His challenge for the 2025-26 season is now not only to make the play-offs, but to do this without other NHL teams taking them lightly.
As a player who has improved so far in every season of his career, it is expected that he will continue. He will be familiar to play error -free, two -way hockey, but will also remain a center that wins important faceoffs, which he won last season at a speed of 51.6%. With Christian Dvorak who takes his team-leading faceoff rates to the Philadelphia flyers, this area will be an undervalued aspect of his game that should see improvement. With another strong season and a proven track record in the play -offs, Suzuki has started finding any respect among the NHL managers while he is now becoming a member Team Canada Olympic Camp. But to cement themselves in Canada’s selection, his pointed totals must go up. Will it be 100 points? It’s possible.
What the game changes for Suzuki does not give him new linemates; They remain unchanged. It is the depth that has been added to the line -up. With the additions of Ivan Demidov and Zachary Bolduc, as well as a healthy Patrik Laine, opposing teams will have to be a game plan for not just the line of Suzuki, but at least an offensive threatening line, which means more opportunities for Suzuki. Not only that, the addition of Noah Dobson to this line -up also adds important options to the Power Play (PP) that can also make it easier for team captain.
The combination of his high-end hockey-iq, ruthless work ethics and now in-depth attack with a deadly Power Play unit has created the perfect storm that can enable him to be new career heights in goals and points, possibly even the first 100-point skater in the 1980-6 season.
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