Recently, Kent Hughes has emphasized his desire to see his young core make significant progress in the 2024-25 season. This involves not only enhancing their defensive play but also developing the team’s young star forwards.
Among the key players expected to drive this development are Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovský, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook.
Matt Larkin of the Daily Faceoff doesn’t believe Nick Suzuki can score more than 77 points in a season 🤔
👇👇👇 https://t.co/zUuUaIgiQO pic.twitter.com/J5wQiLmYUX
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 13, 2024
Of these, Suzuki carries the most responsibility. As the team captain, top center, and highest-paid player (aside from Carey Price), he is expected to lead as the Habs’ best forward.
Suzuki’s impressive 33-goal, 77-point season last year was aided by his chemistry with Caufield and Slafkovský, bringing him close to a point-per-game performance.
Many anticipate that Suzuki will continue this upward trend and once again approach a point-per-game average. However, Matt Larkin from Daily Faceoff is less optimistic. In his Fantasy Pool predictions for the 2024-25 season, Larkin doubts Suzuki’s ability to surpass last year’s numbers.
Larkin argues that while Suzuki has a strong baseline performance, his role as a complete player with extensive responsibilities might limit his offensive ceiling.
Given Suzuki’s heavy usage in both defensive situations and when short-handed, it’s understandable why his offensive output might not see a substantial increase.
On the flip side, there are reasons to believe Suzuki could still improve in the 2024-25 season. If he continues to play with Caufield, who might rebound, and a more developed Slafkovský, Suzuki could be better supported and potentially achieve a stronger offensive performance.
Additionally, Kirby Dach’s return as the second-line center might relieve some of Suzuki’s burden.
The potential inclusion of Lane Hutson in the Habs’ power play could also boost Suzuki’s point totals. While there are many variables, improvement is certainly feasible.
Looking ahead, as the Habs mature, the offensive focus may shift to players like Slafkovský, Caufield, and Ivan Demidov. Nonetheless, Suzuki could still reach a new level of performance in the short term.
Even if Suzuki does hit his offensive peak, a center who excels both defensively and offensively, contributing around 70 points a season, remains a valuable asset.
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