Nick Suzuki’s iron man run is coming to an end, and the Canadiens are suddenly staring at a major hole down the middle.
Montreal announced Thursday that its captain will miss the next two to four weeks because of an upper-body injury. That means Suzuki’s streak of 546 straight games is over, and he’s set to miss game action for the first time in his NHL career.
For a player who has been one of the most reliable pieces in the league, that’s a significant turn. The eight-year NHL veteran had built an impressive run of durability, and Montreal now has to move forward without its top forward for multiple weeks.
The timing could hardly be worse for the Canadiens. They’ve opened the season at 4-3-2, an uneven start that already had some questions attached to it. Losing Suzuki only adds to the pressure, especially with the team’s center depth described as one of the weaker parts of the roster.
Suzuki has still been producing at a strong clip this season. In nine games, he has five goals, 12 points, and a plus-6 rating.
That follows last year’s huge campaign, when he posted 29 goals, 72 assists, 101 points, and a plus-37 rating in 82 games. He also won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best two-way forward.
Now the Canadiens have to see how they hold up without him. The next few weeks will tell the story, with Montreal hoping the injury ends up being more toward the two-week side than the four-week side.
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Canadiens Prospect Alexander Zharovsky Just Gave Fans Another Reason To Wait
Alexander Zharovsky continues to give Canadiens fans a reason to keep an eye on the KHL box scores. The 19-year-old forward, who is still developing in Russia with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, was part of a recent comeback win over Metallurg Magnitogorsk and has remained one of the more intriguing young talents in Montreals pipeline after a record-setting rookie season.
The start to this season has been a little uneven, but that is part of the patient plan the Canadiens have in place for him. Rather than rush him toward North America, Montreal is letting Zharovsky handle the ups and downs of a full KHL campaign, hoping the long view pays off when he is ready to make the next jump. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Still Loom In A Trade Situation That May Not Be Closed
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For the Canadiens, the key part is what is not yet there. Montreal is not on Larkins current 10-team list, which does not shut the door on future interest but does keep the club on the outside for now. Elsewhere, Pittsburghs situation bears watching too, since a tougher stretch could trigger a larger sell-off as management operates under a tight budget, leaving this as one of those leaguewide trade stories that could still change shape before it finally settles. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Brutal Test Without Their Captain
Nick Suzukis absence is the kind of development that changes the feel of a roster immediately. The Canadiens captain is dealing with an upper-body injury that will keep him out for 2-4 weeks, and with that comes the end of his remarkable run of 546 consecutive games. It is the sort of stretch that underscores how central Suzuki has become to Montreal, not just as its top center but as the steadying presence the team has leaned on through so much of its recent progress.
For the Canadiens, the next few weeks now become a test of depth and adaptability. Montreal has already moved to bring up Owen Beck from AHL Laval, a sign that the club is preparing to reshuffle responsibilities quickly while Suzuki recovers. However the lines are arranged, the larger challenge is obvious: replacing a captain who touches so many parts of the game is never as simple as plugging in one player and moving on. [Read more 🡒]