Nick Suzuki Could Make History This Year

While he is playing well in the last few games, it’s still far from the version of Suzuki that we tend to see late in the last two regular seasons. Suzuki’s current numbers are hugely boosted by his 9 assists in 7 games thus far, which would put him on pace to record 105 assists over 82 games. However, he has only scored 1 goal in 7 games thus far, which is way below his normal averages. His assist numbers are bound to fall soon, but on the other hand, his goal totals should shoot up again soon. Truthfully, he could easily still be around 70-75 assists, with how the team around him keeps progressing, but there is no way he’ll record an assist every single game this year. Nonetheless, because of his scoring below his normal averages, he may still end up hitting 100 points for the first time in his 6-year NHL career.

The fact that Suzuki currently has 10 points in 7 games, with the power-play not performing, makes this start of the season performance even more impressive on his end.

I was someone who doubted that Suzuki could hit 100 points this season, but with this start of the year, where he hasn’t found his stride just yet, it makes me believe he could truly be the first to achieve this feat since Mats Naslund hit the 100-point mark when he had 43 goals and 110 points in the 1985-86 season. It has been 40 years since any Hab has reached the elusive 100-point total, and Suzuki has the opportunity to end that drought at 40 years to put it behind the Habs in their history.

Some fans may see it differently when watching Suzuki early in the regular season, but it’s clear that this has been the best start to a season of his NHL career, as normally, he starts the season flirting with a point per game but is never among the top point-getters at the start of the season. It is normally only at the end of a campaign that Suzuki goes on a tear, which has continuously gotten better each year of his career. So far this season, Suzuki is tied for 2nd in assists and tied for 4th in points. He has also registered the 4th most points in the NHL, since January 1st, with 63. There is no reason this production can’t continue.

One factor that may be helping Suzuki a lot to put up big numbers to start the year is that Juraj Slafkovsky is doing the little things that create room for Suzuki and Caufield to produce offensively, as well as scoring more than he has before. The reality is that Slafkovsky’s play has been one of the biggest reasons why Suzuki has been able to produce above an assist a game. Caufield seems to always have a good start offensively on his own, but it seems like the progression of Slafkovsky this year has made the whole line produce to another level.

Another aspect that has helped Suzuki is that it seems like the offense in general runs around him, and he’s involved in nearly half the Habs’ goals thus far. However, the extra space may be a factor in that, as well as he is proving to be opportunistic when the chances come. Suzuki has clearly positioned himself among the league’s most elite players, and if healthy, should prove that he, in fact, can produce 100 points in a season.

Do you think Suzuki could produce 100 points this season and be the first since Mats Naslund?