The Habs’ Mount Rushmore in the 21st century: Nick Suzuki edged out by Saku Koivu

Dose
Crédit: Nick Suzuki took matters into his own hands last week.

This October will mark Nick Suzuki’s seventh season in a Canadiens uniform. The center, who only gets better with each passing year, is now clearly established as a true #1 center in the NHL,having just collected 89 points in one season. It’s been almost 20 years since Montreal has seen a campaign with more than a point per game.In six seasons, Suzuki has collected 375 points in 455 games, an excellent harvest. And all of this means that, looking at his record, it’s logical to see him as one of the best players in the Habs’ recent history. That’s why it’s a little peculiar that Bleacher Report, in their Mount Rushmore exercise of the best players on each team in the 21st century, didn’t choose the Habs’ current captain.Especially since among those ahead of him is Saku Koivu.

[content-ads]It’s important to remember that the period that counts is everything that’s happened since the 2000-01 season, but not before. In that time, Koivu has racked up 418 points in 502 games, a pace comparable to Suzuki’s. However, Suzuki has the advantage of having played in a Stanley Cup Final with the Habs, something Koivu has never done. At the time, Suzuki shone with 16 points in 22 games, at just 21 years of age,and in the last two seasons, Suzuki has scored 77 and 89 points, marks Koivu has never reached in a single campaign. Suzuki also has two 30-goal seasons, while Koivu has never surpassed the 22-goal mark in a single campaign.It’s possible to defend both points of view (Koivu has the longevity argument, while Suzuki has the peaks reached argument), but it seems to me that, as of today, there’s real reason to give Suzuki the edge.

And I have a feeling that if we do the same exercise again in a year’s time, he’ll be there… and if we do it again in a few years’ time, maybe Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov and Cole Caufield will earn some love too.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- What do you think?

– Happy birthday

– Interesting. He’