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Nick Suzuki Emerges as Selke Trophy Front-Runner
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- Nick Suzuki Emerges as Selke Trophy Front-Runner
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
There's no doubt Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has emerged as one of the most well-rounded centres in the NHL.
With 31 points in 26 games, he's currently 15th in NHL scoring, tied with dominant Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl , and his underlying numbers suggest he makes a significant and crucial impact when it comes to Montreal's ability to defend.
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Consequently, Suzuki is the front-runner for the Selke Trophy according to ESPN , which is given to the player who best excels in the defensive aspect of the game.
However, it should also be noted that the Selke Trophy will be tightly-contested, even more so now that three-time winner Sasha Barkov has been sidelined with what appears to be a season-ending knee injury.
Via ESPN :
"The tightest race, with Suzuki narrowly in front," one voter concluded . "With Barkov's absence, it was to be expected. To stay in front, Suzuki will need to remain a consistent penalty killer."
The other players currently being considered include Draisaitl, Anthony Cirelli , and Sam Reinhart .
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Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
Suzuki's impact on Montreal's results is impossible to ignore. Not only is he the engine that drives the offence, he's one of the few players who manages to maintain impressive statistics when evaluating his puck-possession metrics.
For example, the Canadiens are currently ranked 24th in the league, with a 47.1% share of the shots at 5v5 this season. With Suzuki on the ice, that number rises all the way to 52.3%.
The Canadiens are also ranked 24th in goal share, with 46.5%, but that number jumps to 63% whenever Suzuki starts a shift.
As for the expected goals, the Habs are, unsurprisingly, 24th in the league, with 48%, while Suzuki once again finds himself on the right side of the metric, with an impressive 53.9%.
In other words, without Suzuki on the ice, the Montreal Canadiens are essentially a lottery team.
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With Suzuki on the ice, they produce the type of numbers that would suggest they're on the right track to becoming Stanley Cup contenders.
Of course, there's more to the Selke Trophy than just maintaining a decent production rate, and playing solid defence at 5v5.
Votes often look at how often players are used on the penalty kill, which could serve as an argument to avoid voting for Suzuki. He is currently a crucial member of Montreal's penalty killing unit, but that's not always the case. Given that his responsibilities in Montreal would take an Aladdin-style scroll to enumerate, there's a risk that head coach Martin St-Louis may want to alleviate the workload in the future, and that could entail removing Suzuki from the penalty kill.
It would be a decision that would hurt his chances of capturing the Selke Trophy, but may very well be the best path forward for the team.
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Regardless, the fact that Suzuki is the front-runner for this highly-coveted trophy is a sign that his reputation around the NHL is starting to match his excellent play on a nightly basis.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are via Natural Stat Trick .
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