Nick Suzuki Surpasses Tim Stützle in Latest NHL Network Center Rankings

His 89 points, including 30 goals, put him last season in 6th place among the league's centers in scoring, just two points behind a certain Sidney Crosby.

It's no surprise then that NHL Network placed the Canadiens' number 14 in the 10th spot among centers in the NHL.

For comparison, NHL Network had ranked Suzuki last year at the 16th position, between Tim Stützle (17th) and Dylan Larkin (15th).

This summer, the Ottawa Senators' player takes Suzuki's old 16th spot, while the Detroit Red Wings' captain holds 15th place.

Since entering the NHL in 2019-20, the 26-year-old captain has done nothing but progress in terms of points.

2019-2020: 41 points (13 goals)
2020-2021: 41 points (15 goals) but in 56 games
2021-2022: 61 points (21 goals)
2022-2023: 66 points (26 goals)
2023-2024: 77 points (33 goals)
2024-2025: 89 points (30 goals)
2025-2026: 90 points and + as well as 40 goals?

The progression isn't just on offense; Suzuki plays excellent hockey in all three zones. Martin St-Louis is fortunate to have a guy in his lineup he can use in every possible situation in a game.

Let's not forget that Suzuki was the youngest captain in Montreal Canadiens history. He also managed to handle that enormous pressure and step up when the time came.

As Brian Boyle said, he was left off Team Canada and proved to the rest of the world how good he can be. He took his team on his shoulders, with all the pressure that comes with it, and managed to qualify for the playoffs.

That's why I believe the Habs finally have an Elite player in their ranks!

For the full top 20 ranking from the broadcaster, here it is: