When considering Nick Suzuki’s 2023-24 season, it’s difficult to perceive it as anything other than an overall success. The Canadiens captain has 64 points in 69 games this season, including 27 goals, which is a personal career high.
He may be slipping away from the one-point-per-game pace, but scoring 70-75 points will be a major accomplishment for the Habs’ iron man.
However, in addition to his offensive contributions, the Tricolore captain’s defensive performances were also praised. Let’s not forget that back in January, some people weren’t completely ruling him out of winning the Selke Trophy.
Even Ryan O’Reilly praised him for his defensive performance.
According to SportLogiq, Suzuki does not yet have the profile of a Selke Trophy winner, but that does not change the fact that he is one of the best defensive forwards on the circuit. In particular, he excels in terms of puck collection in his zone and 1-on-1 battles won in his zone, ranking among the league’s top-15 in both categories in 2023-24.
However, the evidence suggests that he may eventually receive more serious attention. On the other hand, he’s a long way from Phillip Danault, who is one of the firm’s three favourites for the award.
For those interested, the other two candidates are Charlie Coyle and Vincent Trocheck, although they will not be the only ones in contention.
Danault’s defensive game is his strength, as evidenced by his tenure in Montreal. The Kings’ forward can often muffle opposing top players, whilst Suzuki cannot (yet?).
He’s done it several times this season, most notably with Auston Matthews, but he still has the occasional bad night.
Suzuki’s current defensive abilities are certainly encouraging. However, it may be some time before he is regarded as one of the NHL’s best defensive players.
In any case, a very good center in his zone who averages close to a point a game is a
