Hockey

Selke Trophy: Nick Suzuki is the favorite, according to The Athletic
Félix Forget
Selke Trophy: Nick Suzuki is the favorite, according to The Athletic
Credit: NHL.com

Since the start of his career, Nick Suzuki has improved with each passing year. The Habs captain sees his offensive production increase with each campaign, but more importantly, he becomes a more complete player with each passing year.

And when you consider that his club doesn't exactly have a second center worthy of the name, what Suzuki does is crucial for the Habs.

And this year, more than ever, we feel that Suzuki has reached another level defensively. And given that Aleksander Barkov will miss the vast majority of the season, it opens the door to seeing him win the #14 Selke Trophy.

Dom Luszczyszyn, for The Athletic, has just updated us on the races for individual honors on December 1… and for the Selke, we find Suzuki in first place.

He's ahead of Leon Draisaitl and Mitch Marner, according to Luszczyszyn.

The advanced statistics expert explains that Suzuki has some pretty exceptional numbers when it comes to its 5-on-5 defensive play. The club gives away very few goals when Suzuki is on the ice, partly because he helps his line dominate the opposition when he's on the ice.

So far this year, the Habs have scored 17 5-on-5 goals with Suzuki on the ice. On the other hand, they have conceded just seven in the same circumstances.

Luszczyszyn, who is also the man whose statistical model was highly critical of Suzuki's contract a few years ago (an opinion with which the expert didn't necessarily agree), also notes that seeing Suzuki play at a numerical disadvantage helps his candidacy a great deal. We know he wasn't doing it at the start of the season, but that's changed with the injuries around town.

He doesn't play as short-handed as some of the other title contenders… but he does enough to tick that box. And if he's dominant at 5-on-5, he only needs to tick that box to make his candidacy credible.

We know it's a long season, and it's quite possible that other guys will take their game up a notch. But after nearly two months of action, Suzuki seems more than ever to be in the thick of the race for the Selke.

And that's while scoring more than a point a game. He's quite something, the captain.


Overtime

– Great read on Andrei Markov.

– Canucks: even if they want to sell, it won't be easy.

– What to watch for.

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