J.O.: The Athletic’s four panelists place Nick Suzuki in their lineup

Jonathan Di Gregorio
J.O.: The Athletic’s four panelists place Nick Suzuki in their lineup
Credit: Getty Images

With the Olympic Games just around the corner, speculation about who would play for the various nations continues apace.

The panelists on The Athletic Hockey Show podcast got in on the act, and we can see their lineup projected here:

Interestingly enough, all four panelists included Nick Suzuki in their lineups.

Not necessarily a surprise, the Habs captain is off to a great start this season with 31 points, including 8 goals, in 26 games, plus a plus-11 rating.

However, Suzuki's selection is no longer really up for debate, but is increasingly the talk of the pundits.

And the way the center-forward has been playing lately, he's making a strong case for a Team Canada invitation.

There are also a few notable absentees among the Habs players.

Unsurprisingly, Samuel Montembeault's name isn't on the projected Canadiens roster, and I'd be very surprised if he got a call-up to the Olympics.

The Québécois goalkeeper would probably have had the role of third goalkeeper with the team, but his performances since the start of the season will certainly cost him his place in Milan in favor of a better goalkeeper.

A little more surprising is the absence of Noah Dobson.

Despite some struggles in the Habs' last few games, the defenseman has been playing good hockey so far this season, with 16 points in 26 games.

What's more, the Canadiens' thinkers seem to like combinations of players who are used to playing together and who already have chemistry. Dobson completes Mike Matheson's highly effective duo since the start of the season.

The two defenders could form a good third-back pairing for Canada.

On the other hand, Canada has plenty of depth on defense and several good options on the blue line.


Overtime

– Sixth straight win for the Rocket.

– A nice goal from the Habs prospect.

– Fans are getting impatient.

– It's shaking.

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