Swiss Army Knife Suter is doing it all for Canucks this season
The term “Swiss Army Knife” describes a player who does it all. Well, there might not be a player who fits that term better then Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter.
For one, Suter is actually from Switzerland. But more importantly, Suter has quickly become a guy who can be trusted in all situations for the Canucks.
Head coach Rick Tocchet said as much after the Canucks beat the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
“When [Phil] Di Giuseppe went down [with injury], [Suter] was everywhere,” Tocchet told reporters.
“We put him on the wing and put him at centre because we had a short forward. He made the most of his opportunity.”
He sure did after leading the Canucks with three points and a +4 rating in a 6-3 win.
Not only did he make the most of his opportunity against the Senators, but he’s been making the most of his ice time all season long.
Pius Suter skating on a line with Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller.
— Kate Pettersen (@CanucksReporter) January 4, 2024
It looks like he’ll get a chance to play with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser tonight in St. Louis.
Suter scoring with ease for Canucks
Suter quietly went nine games without a point to start this season. That’s surprising considering that the Canucks went 7-1-1 in those games and led the league in goals over that span.
Since registering his first point as a Canuck on November 2, Suter has gone on a run that’s seen him score eight goals and post 11 points over his last 14 games.
That effectiveness was subdued by the fact that he missed a month of action due to injury. Suter scored four goals in six games prior to suffering a lower-body injury on November 12.
Since returning, Suter has really embodied the term “Swiss Army Knife” because he been one of the best players on the Canucks despite not having any consistency in terms of his linemates.
Suter has scored four goals since returning to the lineup on December 14. During that time, he scored goals playing with three different line combinations: Elias Pettersson/Ilya Mikheyev, J.T. Miller/Brock Boeser, and Sam Lafferty/Nils Höglander.
Suter doubles the Canucks lead. âś‹ pic.twitter.com/QMIko180F7
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 3, 2024
Despite being known as a middle-six, do it all, type player, Suter definitely knows how to score. This is a guy who had a hat trick in his first NHL game, and one who has averaged 17 goals per 82 games since entering the NHL back in 2020-21.
Suter for Selke?
The offence Suter has provided is a nice bonus, but arguably his best attribute is that he’s an extremely reliable player defensively.
That was true prior to this season, and he hasn’t disappointed so far for the Canucks.
Suter has been on the ice for only two even-strength goals against this season. Among NHLers who have skated for at least 250 minutes at even-strength this season, that leads the NHL.
In fact, only three of 559 NHLers who’ve skated for 250 five-on-five minutes have been on the ice for five or fewer goals against.
Part of that is because Canucks goaltenders are stopping an absurd 98.2% of shots when Suter is on the ice, but the Swiss Army Knife deserves some credit for his defensive acumen.
He rarely misses a check in the defensive zone, which is impressive considering he’s of smaller stature (5-11, 179 pounds). His first goal of the season against the San Jose Sharks showcased both his defensive efforts and his finishing ability.
Suter's FIRST as a Vancouver Canuck! đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/AZE8V0zDey
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 3, 2023
The opposition rarely gets chances when Suter is on the ice. His 22.7 scoring chances against per-60 is the 41st-lowest mark among 559 regular NHLers.
Suter was also acquired by the Canucks to help on the penalty kill. Although he hasn’t been as good as the likes of Blueger and Joshua, the Canucks do have the NHL’s sixth-best penalty kill since Suter returned from injury in December.
Suter providing value at a bargain
It was surprising to see a player of Suter’s skill level still available in free agency last August.
And when the Canucks signed him to a two-year deal paying him just $1.6 million per season, it automatically appeared as though Suter could be one of the best bargain contracts in the NHL – at least in terms of guys who signed contracts in free agency.
So far, so good.
According to The Athletic’s player card model, Suter’s true value is that of a $3.8 million player – meaning he’s providing $2.2 million of surplus value for the Canucks.
There will be some regression in Suter’s game. He won’t continue to score on 25% of his shots, nor will Canucks goalies stop more than 98% of shots when he’s on the ice.
Nonetheless, this is still a player who provides value at both ends of the ice, plays penalty kill, centres the Canucks’ second power play unit, and could threaten to score 20 goals.
Not bad for a guy that could’ve been signed by 31 other NHL teams back in early August.
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