The Montreal Canadiens have had 30 captains throughout the history of the franchise. On Monday morning they added another name to the list. Nick Suzuki has been named the 31st captain in franchise history.
The Montreal Canadiens have a new captain.
Nick Suzuki was traded to the Canadiens on Sept. 10, 2018, in a deal that sent Max Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights. The trade is regarded as a big win for the Canadiens, proven even more true now that Suzuki is the captain.
The Canadiens have had a lot of different captains through the years. Guys like Max Pacioretty and Shea Weber have served as captains most recently. The crazy thing about Nick Suzuki being captain is the fact that he is now the youngest captain in franchise history.
The Canadiens have had a lot of different captains through the years. They are one of the most historic and successful franchises through the years, and now they are adding Nick Suzuki to the list of captains.
Here is what Suzuki had to say following being named captain:
"This team is headed in a great direction and I couldn’t be more excited to be the captain and represent the team.”– Nick Suzuki via Sportsnet"
Nick Suzuki is starting his fourth year in the NHL this upcoming season. Suzuki has already been to the Stanley Cup Final, going with the Canadiens in 2021 to the Final to face off against the Lightning. During that run, he played in 22 games putting up 16 points.
Suzuki led the Canadiens by a wide margin in points last season with 61. He is still young and has a lot of time to develop further and get used to whoever his linemates will be next season, but it already looks like he could be the next elite center for this organization.
Capitaine Nick 🔥 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/cg4orzLiw5
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 12, 2022
This is the right pick for the Canadiens, as Nick Suzuki has already represented the organization on multiple occasions, most recently at the 2022 All-Star Weekend.
Suzuki is signed through the 2029-30 season on a deal that earns him on average $7.875 million a year. I think the Canadiens would like to see this team back in the playoffs and contending for a championship before his contract is up.
Joel Edmundson and Brendan Gallagher will serve as assistant captains this upcoming season. With those two and Suzuki, the rebuilding Canadiens are in good hands leadership-wise. While they won’t be the best team this upcoming season, they will be a fun team to watch as fans see Juraj Slafkovský play in his first NHL season since being drafted first overall this summer.