Montreal Canadiens Centre Ranked 9th In The NHL

While it can be argued that he belongs closer to fifth best rather than 10th on the list after his great performance last year, Suzuki still doesn’t have nearly the resume or dominance (Macklin Celebrini) of the majority of the players that NHL Network put ahead of him. The eight players that the NHL Network put ahead of Suzuki were Connor McDavid, MacKinnon, Celebrini, Leon Draisaitl, Aleksander Barkov, Jack Eichel, Sidney Crosby, and Auston Matthews. 

Realistically, after last season, an argument could be made that Suzuki could be as high as sixth, just ahead of Eichel and behind Barkov. However, Eichel has proven to be able to lead a team to a Stanley Cup victory as a first-line centre. The longevity of Crosby still performing as an above-a-point-per-game player even as he approaches 40 years old is remarkable, and his resume continues to speak for itself. 

On the other hand, Matthews hasn’t done anything over the last two years that has shown he belongs ahead of Suzuki right now. Sure, three seasons ago Matthews scored 69 goals and was the best goal scorer in the game for a little while. Unfortunately, since being named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, his numbers have dipped, and he has struggled to stay healthy. Last season, Matthews had a career-low 26 goals and 53 points in 60 games, putting up less than a point per game for the first time since his rookie season as well as his only year below 30 goals. 

Given his past as a high-point producer, it is understandable that lists could still have Matthews in their top 10 centres in the NHL, but the decline in performance vs. Suzuki’s continuous improvement each year makes it hard to see how the Leafs centre is the better player heading into the regular season. One clear outlier this past year for Matthews is that he didn’t have Mitch Marner on his wing, showing just how much his former linemate helped him.

Matthews may bounce back to being the 45-50 goal player that he has been for the majority of his career now that 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna will likely be on his wing. However, until then it remains to be seen, as relying on a rookie to up his point totals isn’t the best solution for him to get back to the player he could be, which is why Suzuki should possibly be above him going into the 2026-27 campaign.

There is the argument that others can make that because Matthews has a Hart Trophy and has shown he can lead the NHL in goals, he deserves to be ahead of many others who had a better season than him. However, when you consider Suzuki’s importance to the Montreal Canadiens both on and off the ice as a leader, there is no question that presently Suzuki could be a spot higher on NHL Network’s list. Either way, it’s safe to say Suzuki is among the most elite centres in the game.

Do you think that NHL Network having Suzuki as the ninth best centre after his career year is justified, or would he be higher on your list?