/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-tor.buminteractif.com%2F2025%2F12%2F26030647%2FGettyImages-2245207604-1-1.jpg)
The Montreal Canadiens can count themselves lucky to have Nick Suzuki in their organization.
More and more, the Habs captain is proving to detractors that he deserves to be recognized as one of the NHL's top centers.
Not only does he produce at an excellent rate, but he's also known to be very good defensively and prevents many goals, or at least many scoring opportunities, thanks to his defensive brilliance.
A center of his caliber and versatility doesn't come along very often.
And we still don't know if he'll be part of the Canadiens team at the next Olympics, which is pretty absurd…
Looking at the players' statistics since the start of 2025, Suzuki ranks 7th in the scoring charts, with 95 points in 82 games.
What stands out most, however, is that only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid are ahead of the Canadiens' captain among Canadian players. We can also agree that MacKinnon and McDavid are the two best players in the world.
If Suzuki doesn't represent Canada at the next Olympics, we'll have to cry foul, because it's very easy to find a place for him, especially when you look at the table above. It's even easier to fit him into the Canadiens line-up when you know that he's far from being a one-dimensional player.
He's always up against the opposition's best players and finds ways to shut them down. What's more, his face-off efficiency has been over 51% since the start of the 2023-24 season.
He makes his linemates better, he leads his team game after game by example, he's been the Habs' captain since he was 23, and he'll be the third-highest Canadian scorer in 2025.
Honestly, I don't know what more it's going to take for him to represent Canada at the Olympics in Milan.
Guys like Robert Thomas, Mark Scheifele, and Anthony Cirelli are way behind Suzuki in my eyes, and I'm willing to put Suzuki ahead of Sam Reinhart and even Brayden Point right now.
Of course, Reinhart and Point will make the club, but that just goes to show how Suzuki really is one of the NHL's best Canadian centers.
Overtime
– Lane Hutson is everywhere.
After the rink in NDG…
Lane Hutson was also seen in Los Cabos.
– Max Lalonde (@MaxLalonde_) December 25, 2025
– This is truly incredible. Alexander Zharovsky has already eclipsed Kirill Kaprizov's KHL scoring mark at age 18 in 22 fewer games (!!!).
Put up a Zharovsky video on Christmas Eve, so he went out and had the GWG and two helpers on Christmas Day in a 4-2 win. On pace to shatter the KHL goal and points records for an 18-year-old.
Here's the video – enjoy your day! https://t.co/em0R6SANQv https://t.co/O36L3G35xi pic.twitter.com/VW4UBb476h
– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) December 25, 2025
– Indeed, it's not just Gavin McKenna. Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff can certainly cause a surprise, and there are also several other quality prospects in this crop.
David Pagnotta: This is a very, very good draft; there's all the McKennas and the Verhoeffs and whatnot; but man, there are another five kids in this draft, maybe six, who are going to be premier players in the NHL or at least are tracking in that direction. – Sportsnet Today (12/22)
– NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) December 25, 2025
– Meet the captains and their two assistants for Team Canada Junior.
Meet the captains! / Voici nos capitaines!
C: Porter Martone(@OHFHockey)
A: Cole Beaudoin(@HEOhockey)
A: Harrison Brunicke(@HockeyAlberta)#WorldJuniors | #MondialJunior pic.twitter.com/xfwIakrRVT– Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 25, 2025
– Read on.
In hindsight, it surely would have been better. https://t.co/UllcmncuUu
– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) December 26, 2025
