Canadiens Captain Nick Suzuki Makes Bold Statement on the Team's Future

The captain was finally able to lead his team to the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021 with a career-high 89-point season in 2024-25.

This surge can be explained by a few factors: the chemistry in Montreal is higher than ever, head coach Martin St. Louis' message and style are clearer, the team is much more talented now, and the player is entering his prime.

Fans are very excited for the next season. Newcomers Ivan Demidov, Noah Dobson, and Zach Bolduc will play their first full year in Montreal.

Expectations are much higher than they were last year, both externally and internally.

Suzuki opened up on what he expects from his team for the next season in a new interview.

Suzuki Reveals Exactly How High Expectations Are In The Canadiens Locker Room Entering The Next Season

The Habs core has been building chemistry for years now. Suzuki's line, with Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, was among the best lines in the League last season at five-on-five.

After only scratching the surface, Suzuki believes they can achieve a lot more, especially after adding Dobson and Bolduc: he wants to compete for a Stanley Cup.

In his own words:

'It's exciting. We've been trading guys away for a long time, so now that we're adding guys - really good NHL players - to the team, it's exciting for everyone. Talking to Dobber and Bolduc coming in, they're really excited to join the group. It's an exciting time for the Canadiens, the players and the fans can all see that. Now I'm just excited to get the season going.'

'(Last year) our expectations for ourselves were higher than the media and the fans had, so I don't think it's any different this year. I want to be in the same spot or better.'

'Expectations are gonna grow. We know that & that's fine with us. We all want the same goal at the end of the day. We want to be challenging for the Stanley Cup. From now on, that's pretty much gonna be our goal.

I think we have the team to do that.'