Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has led by example over the past few seasons, consistently topping his teammates in goals, assists, and points.
Yet here we are, six games into the 2024-25 campaign, and Suzuki has yet to put one past an opposing goalie. Is it time to hit the panic button?
Absolutely not. If anything, a slow start is par for the course with the 25-year-old.
Looking back at game logs of years past, Suzuki didn’t find the back of the net in his first seven outings last season, managing just three assists during that stretch. And in 2021-22, he went pointless in his first four games but still finished the year as the Canadiens’ leading scorer. This season, though, he’s already dished out five assists in six games — proof that he’s still driving the offence, even if his goal tally remains blank.
Despite letting linemate Cole Caufield, who has six goals in the same number of games, hog all the red-light glory for now, Suzuki’s current pace suggests he’s on the path to another strong season.
When you consider Suzuki’s career shooting percentage, which sits around 13%, it’s clear that his current goal drought is just a temporary blip. His shots haven’t found the back of the net yet, but with the number of chances he’s generating, it’s only a matter of time before the goals come.
Suzuki has also shown that he gets stronger as the season wears on. In the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, the three-time All-Star tallied 40 points in 37 games, proving he thrives under pressure. This season should be no different.
Finally, considering he hit a new career-high of 77 points in 2023-24, building off his previous best of 66, the London, Ontario, native could very well be the first Canadiens player to surpass 80 points in a single season since Alex Kovalev last did it in 2007-08.
With all that in mind, it’s safe to say that Montreal’s captain isn’t concerned just yet — and we shouldn’t be either.