Suzuki is hoping for an extended stay in Montreal

MONTREAL - Not long after he stepped off the ice after playing in the Vegas Golden Knights' rookie camp game against the San Jose Sharks, Nick Suzuki was called into general manager George McPhee's office and told he had been traded from the League's newest franchise to its oldest.

As with any big life change, it took a moment for the 19-year-old to absorb the news, but it was all uphill from there.
"I was kind of shocked at first, but after it sinks in, you just get really excited about the new opportunity," recounted Suzuki. "The last couple of days, I've just been thinking about getting to Montreal and finally getting there and showing what I can do."
The native of London, ON may have grown up a Maple Leafs fan, but Suzuki has his sights firmly set on staying in Montreal for the upcoming campaign.
"That's my goal, to make the NHL. I'm going to do everything I can to make Montreal and show them I can play in the NHL," affirmed Suzuki, who was the highest-scoring member of the OHL's Owen Sound Attack last season with 100 points (42G, 58A) - 31 more than the next man down. "When I get there, I just want to prove I can play with the NHL players and do my best."

Suzuki describes himself as a strong two-way player who likes to play responsibly in his own end while also getting on the board as much as he can.
"I think I'm really good in the defensive zone, and I think I'm a great playmaker. I can shoot the puck, I like to put up points," said Suzuki, who will wear No. 88 in Montreal. "My favorite player who I try to model myself after is Patrice Bergeron. I love watching him. He's just an amazing player and he plays well at both ends.
As for the inevitable question he'll be asked about where he'll be positioned - Suzuki has been known to play all three forward positions - the youngster stated he feels most natural skating up the middle.
"I've always wanted to prove I can play center. I know a lot of teams are looking for bigger centers, but I think I can still play the center position well," shared the 5-foot-11, 183-pounder, who added he's more than happy to leave the decision in the hands of the team's coaching staff. "It doesn't really matter how tall or how big you are. I play well in the D zone as a center. It's the most comfortable position for me."

Both Suzuki and Tomas Tatar - the other piece of the late-night Sunday trade puzzle involving Max Pacioretty - will land in Montreal and will report to the Bell Sports Complex on Thursday for physicals.
If the newest Habs prospect's visit to Montreal is shorter than he hopes and he's sent back down to Junior, Suzuki knows what he'll be focused on improving when he gets going on his fourth season with the Attack.
"I'll just be working on my overall game. I've been doing that the last two years and I think it's been going well. Back in the OHL, you know you're going to get a lot of ice time, you're going to get power play and penalty kill time," he concluded. "It'd just be my overall game and still getting better on both ends of the ice."