NICK SUZUKI, MONTREAL CANADIENS
At 21, it may be too early to proclaim Suzuki the explosive o ensive center that Montreal has been seeking for more than a decade. Then again, maybe not. The right-shot pivot is a quick thinking, high-end playmaker who already has locked down a spot in the team’s top six alongside Josh Anderson and Jonathan Drouin. And with his advanced two-way game, he’s on the verge of greatness both on the ice and in the hobby. “I see a guy who has a lot of confidence,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. “He’s not cocky, he’s very humble, but he knows what he can do and he obviously has a lot of confidence in his game and his decision-making is always extremely good. I think he’s going to be in for a really good year.” Suzuki himself says confidence will be the di erence this season. “When I started last year, I was a little less confident,” he said. “Just kind of shy, just staying to myself. But now I feel more confident with all the guys and on the ice. Just building the chemistry with my linemates.” Suzuki got o to an impressive start in his rookie season posting 13-28-41 totals in 71 games, good for sixth among NHL freshmen, but looked sluggish as the campaign wore down. Refreshed after the break, he was Montreal’s best player in the bubble, leading the team in scoring with four goals and seven points in 10 games. He’s ready for the additional pressure that will come with higher expectations in one of the toughest media markets in the world. “I’ve been through the (playo ) bubble, I kind of showed that I can play with all these guys and even against some of the top players on the other teams,” Suzuki said. “I just want to keep building on that. I’ve always been a player that wants to play against the best. Yeah, I’m excited for the role I have. I’ve got to show up and prove that I’ve earned that and I’ve got to make the coach’s decision look good. So I put a lot of pressure on myself to be an impact player and that’s what I’ll try to do.”
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