HABS PROSPECT CENTRE OF ATTENTION
Suzuki, part of Pacioretty trade, among the intriguing players suiting up at world juniors
Every general manager will tell you that the ideal trade is one that works out for both teams. You want to win the deal. But if you hope to forge a trading partner, you don’t want it to be a blowout.
So the fact Vegas’ Max Pacioretty and Montreal’s Tomas Tatar are putting up near-identical numbers since switching places in September should make their respective general managers happy.
Then again, this wasn’t exactly a one-for-one trade. As good as Tatar has been, he was considered a throw-in on a deal that also netted the Canadiens forward prospect Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick.
“Obviously, for us, Nick Suzuki was the key piece,” Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said after the trade was announced. “We like a young ‘A’ prospect that was picked 13th overall. I believe at the time we had him No. 11 on our (draft) list.”
Suzuki will have a chance to show just how lopsided the trade could become at this year’s world junior championship in Vancouver.
“The trade kind of came out of nowhere, but I’m happy to be in Montreal,” Suzuki said in a phone interview, adding that Bergevin’s comments were a big boost for his confidence. “Just hearing him say that makes me feel good going there. For him to want to trade for me is definitely a big positive. I want to prove him right.”
As the second of three firstround picks that Vegas made in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft — Canadian centre Cody Glass and Swedish defenceman Erik Brannstrom were the others — the London, Ont., native was one of the final cuts at last year’s tournament. But after following up a 100-point season in the Ontario Hockey League with 20 goals and 43 points in 28 games for the Owen Sound Attack this year, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Suzuki ends up leading Canada — and possibly the tournament — in scoring.
“He’s got that offensive flair where he can be a No. 1 power-play guy for you,” said Owen Sound head coach Todd Gill. “He’s got every tool in the box and he has the ability to just make everyone around him better because of his talent.
“I think he can play centre at the NHL level. He’s got the speed, he’s got the skill and the vision.”
At the same time, Suzuki is far from a finished product. The Canadiens sent him back for a fourth year in major junior because they wanted him to play with more pace and develop as a leader. He’s getting better in both areas, said Gill, who named Suzuki the captain.
As for whether he’ll tip the scales and make Vegas regret the trade, you might want to hold off on that thought for now.
After all, Pacioretty has been red hot for the Golden Knights after a sluggish start. And as much as Bergevin wanted Suzuki in the trade, the thinking was that GM George Mcphee held onto what he perceived were two better prospects in Glass (sixth overall) and Brannstrom (15th).
“I see some of this stuff online and fans are thinking Suzuki might be Mitch Marner or William Nylander. He’s just not that guy,” said Mark Seidel of North American Central Scouting. “Montreal fans thinking this guy is going to be a superstar are going to be disappointed. He’s a really good player who’s going to put up some points, but he’s not a 90-point guy. He’s not a guy who’s going to blow you out of your seats.”
Maybe not. But if he helps lead Canada to gold, no one in Montreal is going to complain.
Here are other players to watch at the world juniors:
Cody Glass, Canada
Cody Glass, who was selected sixth overall in 2017, has the distinction of being the first draft pick of the Golden Knights. He’s also one of only two top-10 picks — Barrett Hayton, fifth overall, is the other — among Canada’s forwards. With 54 points in 26 games in Portland this year after putting up 102 points last season, he will be leaned on for offence. Expect Glass to centre the top line and to possibly challenge Suzuki and Morgan Frost (20 goals and 58 points in 32 games) for the team scoring lead.
Evan Bouchard, Canada
There will be a lot of eyes in Edmonton focused on how Evan Bouchard performs in this tournament, with most of it coming from GM Peter Chiarelli. The 10th-overall pick, who scored a goal in a seven-game stint in the NHL before being sent back to junior, is considered the Oilers defenceman of the future. Based on how thin Edmonton’s back end is, the future is immediate. Bouchard led all OHL defencemen with 87 points last season, so Canada will rely on him to produce on the power play, where he has drawn comparisons to Washington’s John Carlson.
Cayden Primeau, U.S.
Though 17-year-old Spencer Knight is the goalie who most scouts are interested in heading toward the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Cayden Primeau appears to have the inside track to the starting job. The son of former NHLER Keith Primeau, the Northeastern University goalie was the last of his position selected in the 2017 draft. It’s far too early to say if the Canadiens prospect will one day succeed Carey Price, but having backstopped the U.S. to a silver medal at the 2016 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, he has a chance to prove he was a draft-day steal.
Quinn Hughes, U.S.
As the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, Jack Hughes has been getting all the attention this year. But don’t be surprised if his older brother ends up making the biggest impact on the U.S. team. After all, the Vancouver Canucks defence prospect not only played at last year’s tournament as a 17-year-old, but was also a key player on the U.S. team that won bronze at the world championship. With 17 assists in 17 games at the University of Michigan, Quinn’s specialty is as a playmaker. That’s another way of saying that you might as well get used to hearing the phrase, “Hughes scores on a pass from Hughes.”
Filip Zadina, Czech Republic
Filip Zadina’s stock might have fallen at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, when he was picked outside the top five, but make no mistake, he’s a big-time player who has the potential to lead the world juniors in scoring. After all, Zadina scored seven goals in seven games last year and heads into the tournament having scored seven goals and tallying 15 points in 23 games with Grand Rapids in the American Hockey League. With linemate Martin Necas also returning and Filip Chytil on loan from the New York Rangers, don’t be surprised if the Czech Republic challenges the big boys for gold.
Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
The Swedes have five firstround picks on their roster. All of them are defencemen, including Rasmus Sandin, who along with Timothy Liljegren is on loan from the AHL’S Toronto Marlies. With Rasmus Dahlin graduated to the NHL level, expect Sandin to fill the offensive void on the back end. He might not be as flashy or dynamic as Dahlin, but with four goals and seven points in 15 games at the AHL level — and having amassed 45 points in 51 games as an OHL rookie last season — Sandin has no difficulty joining the rush and getting involved in the offence.
Jesse Ylonen, Finland
Finland would be a lot stronger of a team had Montreal lent No. 3 overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the world juniors. But having No. 35 overall pick Jesse Ylonen in the tournament could prove to be more than just a consolation prize. Ylonen, who is playing in for the Lahti Pelicans in Finland’s top league, scored four goals and had nine points in seven games at last year’s under-18 championship. If he can do the same — and perhaps find chemistry with draft-eligible Kaapo Kakko — this could be a big year for a Finnish team that failed to make it out of the quarter-finals in each of the last two years.
Alexander Alexeyev, Russia
Between Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, the Washington Capitals might have two of the best Russians in the NHL. With Alexander Alexeyev in their system, the pipeline from the White House to the Kremlin is only getting stronger. Though he was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Alexeyev has spent the last three years playing for the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels. So the small ice is not a problem for the 31st overall pick in 2018, who headed into selection camp tied for third among WHL defencemen in scoring with 31 points in 24 games.
Philipp Kurashev, Switzerland
It was a year ago when Swiss coach Christian Wohlwend made headlines for stating that his team had no chance against the mighty Canadians. “They’re faster, they’re bigger, they’re stronger, they can shoot better, they can pass better,” he said. “They can do everything better.” It’s going to be another steep hill for Switzerland to climb. But if the team overachieves, it will be because of Philipp Kurashev. The Blackhawks prospect, who was selected in the fourth round in 2018, leads the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Quebec Remparts with 18 goals and 43 points in 33 games.
Adam Ruzicka, Slovakia
No one expects Slovakia to win a medal. Heck, it will be a moral victory if the country can avoid relegation. Much of that will depend on the play of Adam Ruzicka, a Calgary Flames prospect who heads into the tournament with 11 goals and 33 points in 32 games for the OHL’S Sarnia Sting. A year ago, Ruzicka picked up two assists, but played a limited role for Slovakia, who shocked the U.S. with a 3-2 win in the round robin before losing to Sweden in the quarter-finals. The six-foot-four centre will be leaned on for more production if Slovakia hopes to pull off a similar upset.
(Nick Suzuki has) got that offensive flair where he can be a No. 1 power-play guy for you. He’s got every tool in the box ... to just make everyone around him better.