NHL Network once again ranks Auston Matthews ahead of Nick Suzuki

Vincent Larue
NHL Network once again ranks Auston Matthews ahead of Nick Suzuki
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Nick Suzuki continues to earn respect throughout the NHL.

His latest season is clearly starting to change how he's perceived outside of Montreal.

The NHL Network has unveiled its annual ranking of the league's top 20 centers, and the Canadiens' captain comes in at No. 9.

That's one spot higher than last year.

After the season he just had, it's hard to argue that Suzuki doesn't deserve this move up the rankings. He tallied 101 points in 82 games, won the Selke Trophy, and finished with a +37 plus/minus rating. He then added 16 points in the playoffs to help the Habs reach the Eastern Conference Final.

But there's something about this ranking that's bothering me.

Just ahead of Suzuki, in eighth place, is Auston Matthews.

Yet the Leafs' captain has just come off a tough season. He tallied 53 points in 60 games and finished with a plus-minus of -4.

Of course, Matthews is still Matthews. He's already scored 69 goals in a single season, won three Maurice Richard Trophies, and took home the Hart Trophy in 2022. His “resume” speaks for itself.

But the NHL Network is ranking the best centers right now.

And when you look further down the rankings, it's clear that recent performances have been taken into account.

Macklin Celebrini is the best example of this.

The young Sharks player was 19th in this same ranking last year. After a 115-point season, he's climbed to third place, behind only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. It's well deserved, but is it too soon to put him ahead of Leon Draisaitl? Maybe.

A 16-spot jump, after all.

The NHL Network didn't hesitate to propel Celebrini up the rankings. Matthews, for his part, dropped only one spot despite his difficult season.

Let's just say Suzuki could have made a case for moving ahead of his Toronto rival.

Another standout in the rankings: Leo Carlsson is 14th. The Ducks player, however, just signed a five-year contract worth $18 million annually.

In fact, he'll be the highest-paid player in the NHL in 2026–2027.

Meanwhile, Suzuki is ninth, and his $7.875 million-per-season contract remains in effect through 2030.

The more time passes, the more ridiculous this contract becomes.

After a 101-point season and a Selke Trophy, one has to wonder what more Suzuki will have to do to surpass Matthews.


In a nutshell

– Bad news for the Raiders.

– Interesting.

– Loss for the Jays.

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