The skinny
The emergence of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki may have only become apparent to the hockey world in the playoffs, but in Suzuki's case, his establishment as a bona fide NHL center unfolded all throughout the 2019-20 season. Head coach Claude Julien may have been easing him into his role earlier in the season, but Suzuki only played less than 14 minutes in a game once after November 12. It took the rookie just seven games to score his first NHL goal, and he enjoyed a stretch from November 12-January 15 in which he put up 21 points, second only to Victor Olofsson among all NHL rookies.
The London, ON native's superior playmaking ability and hockey intelligence didn't take long to rear their heads. Julien deployed the rookie for a total of 1,135:16 this season, which ranks him third among Habs forwards, and he was one of only three skaters up front to suit up for all 71 games. Suzuki logged an impressive 2:10 of average ice time with the man advantage - resulting in six power play goals - and his 659 total faceoffs and 138 shots were second among first-year players in the League. Finishing the season with 41 points (13G, 28A), Suzuki was the second-most productive rookie aged 20 or younger in Canadiens history, behind only Guy Lafleur - and ahead of the likes of Henri Richard and Mario Tremblay.*
Notable numbers
Playoff punditry
If those regular season accomplishments weren't enough, Suzuki returned from the NHL pause to take the hockey world by storm. He and Kotkaniemi took over centering duties on the Canadiens' top-two lines, and Suzuki did not disappoint Julien and associate coach Kirk Muller. He scored his first postseason goal in his very first game right after Kotkaniemi did the same, helping the Habs to a 3-2 overtime win in Game 1 against Pittsburgh. Suzuki tied for the team lead in playoff goals and points with four and seven, respectively, and finished second in average ice time among Habs forwards with 19:11. He also tied for second on the team in shots with 27.
Goal of the year
