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Give the Selke Trophy to Nick Suzuki right now

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 2:33 PM ET

The Canadiens will look to secure their playoff spot tonight when they host Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and the Hurricanes at the Bell Centre.

The team may have an 80% chance of extending its season after 82 games, but the fact remains that once again this year, it finds itself in the mix.

That's not bad, far from it, but it proves one thing: the rebuild isn't over yet, and the Habs can't yet aspire to the Stanley Cup. We're not quite at the stage of being a true “contender,” as they say.

That said, we have to face the facts: the Habs have improved since last year. Both as a team and individually.

Ivan Demidov will likely be in the running for the Calder Trophy, and Oliver Kapanen and Jakub Dobes won't be far behind in the race either.

Lane Hutson could be in the mix for the Norris Trophy (and the Hart Trophy, according to TheAthletic).

Cole Caufield could be hot on Nathan MacKinnon's heels for the Maurice Richard Trophy.

Martin St-Louis is likely to be in the running for the Jack Adams Trophy, and Kent Hughes for the GM of the Year award.

As for captain Nick Suzuki, he could very well win not one, but two trophies: the Selke and the Lady Byng. Remember that the Selke is awarded to the best defensive forward and the Lady Byng to the player who has demonstrated the best sportsmanship while maintaining outstanding performance.

Will Suzuki's recent ejection cost him the Lady Byng?

“Give me the Selke Trophy!” (Credit: Screenshot/Twitter)

Last year, Suzuki received 10 votes for the Selke (13th place), which was won for the third time by Aleksander Barkov. With Patrice Bergeron retired and Barkov on the injured list, there will be a new Selke winner for the first time since the pandemic.

The Habs' captain has taken his game to the next level this season. He's racking up points while posting a plus-27 rating, consistently facing off against the NHL's best players. He also proved himself to be one of the top defensive forwards at the Olympics.

Has he done enough to beat out Anthony Cirelli, Jack Eichel, and Nico Hischier?

Craig Button, during a recent appearance on The Sick Podcast, admitted that he had Nick Suzuki ranked second on his list last year (behind Barkov). He therefore personally sees the Habs captain as the “front-runner” this year.

Should Nick Suzuki be the front-runner to win the Selke Trophy this season? #GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro @CraigJButton pic.twitter.com/Kc6iQZoUYU

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) March 24, 2026

Eric Engels went even further on 98.5 FM last night, swearing that Nick Suzuki would win the Selke this year.

NHL | “I can swear to you that Suzuki is going to win the Selke Trophy” — Eric Engels https://t.co/r3TG4Kp3Ca

— 98.5 Sports (@985Sports) March 24, 2026