Nick Suzuki has no problem with a player earning $17 million in Montreal

Marc-Olivier Cook
Nick Suzuki has no problem with a player earning $17 million in Montreal
Credit: Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images

Nick Suzuki will earn $7.875 million per season through 2030.

So, let's imagine a scenario together: the Montreal Canadiens sign a true star… and offer him a contract worth 15, 16, or even 17 million dollars a year.

Would Suzuki be bothered to see a newcomer earning more than double his salary?

The Canadiens' captain answered that question today by saying…: Not at all.

And his answer speaks volumes about the current mindset within the Canadiens.

Times have changed. On this team, the guys just want to win. Some have accepted less money to make that happen. That makes a difference. And we still make enough money to be set for life. – Nick Suzuki

It's hard to be any clearer than that. And it sounds a lot like what Slaf said a few weeks ago.

The Canadiens' captain seems to have grasped something essential: the goal isn't to be the highest-paid player on the team.

The goal is to build a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup.

And even if that means a player has to earn $15 million or $17 million a year while he makes $7.875 million a year, Suzuki seems perfectly capable of living with that.

It's also important to remember that he's not the only one who's left money on the table.

That kind of mindset can be extremely valuable to an organization… and it's also part of the new culture that was established with the Habs when Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes arrived.

No one in town is going to complain about that.


In a Nutshell

– Nice move by the Oilers.

– Come on!

– Okay. Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

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