Avalanche Draft Profile: Nick Suzuki

Get to Know Nick Suzuki

Date of Birth: Aug. 10, 1999
Place of Birth: London, Ontario
Ht: 5’11”  Wt: 183 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Center
Team (League): Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Suzuki is ranked anywhere between 10-31 by scouting sites but there are plenty of mock drafts that have him going inside the top 10.

EliteProspects:

“A smart offensive center that thinks the game at a fast pace and makes very good decisions on a consistent basis. Though he may not be the biggest player on the ice, Suzuki plays a thick, sturdy game and is hard to knock off the puck, especially when he has his feet moving. He’s an excellent skater that knows his own game well. Skilled with the puck and has a high level of hockey sense. This blend of talent and work ethic is hard to come by, invaluable in the long run.”

Brock Otten:

“SO glad to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves late in the season. Reminds me of Robby Fabbri in his draft year, where it wasn’t until later in the season that he finally started to be considered a serious candidate for a selection in the lottery (although he did ultimately fall). The key to Suzuki’s game is his combination of amazing hockey sense and non stop motor. I saw NHL.com’s Mike Morreale recently say, “Suzuki plays the game like he’s got red bull flowing through his veins,” and I think that’s a very accurate statement. Suzuki isn’t the world’s quickest skater, but he has great agility and it allows him to really whirl around the offensive zone like a Tasmanian devil.

Plus, he’s always one step ahead of his competition, which means he’s outworking you and out-thinking you. His playmaking ability is top notch and it’s no fluke that he was able to be one of the league’s leading scorers in the regular season and post season. But his goal scoring ability is something that is underrated. He has a deceptively quick release and he’s so adept at getting himself scoring chances. This is a well-rounded offensive player. Suzuki also uses his motor to play defensively and on the PK, where he’s developed into one of the league’s premier penalty killers.

One of the comparisons that is thrown around a lot is Joe Pavelski and Suzuki projects as the type of player who can excel in all situations like Pavelski does for the Sharks. Another thing that’s not mentioned a lot is Suzuki’s late birthday that makes him one of the younger players available. He still has some physical maturity to undergo, so it’s scary to think of how good he could be if he gets stronger. To sum it up, with Nick Suzuki, you’re getting one of the more complete players in the draft, who if he were a bit bigger and a bit quicker, would probably be competing with Patrick and Hischier for first overall.”

What BSN Avalanche sees

Suzuki is a player that has been criminally undervalued in this year’s draft. He had 119 points, including playoffs, in the OHL this season. That is more points than anyone that is expected to go in the top 10 in the 2017 draft. Suzuki gets it done in all facets of the game with an elite hockey IQ. His coach isn’t afraid to throw him out in any situation as he was out there on the power play and penalty kill and played big minutes as a 17-year-old.

The knocks on the Canadian forward is that he doesn’t have great size and he’s not a great skater for being a little bit undersized. He’s not the prettiest skater by any means but it doesn’t appear like that makes him a bad skater, he is still an above average skater at the OHL level. Size shouldn’t be an issue as there are plenty of 5’11” forwards that have done just fine in the NHL.

He carried a less-talented Owen Sound Attack team all the way to the OHL Western Conference Finals.

Suzuki considers himself a playmaker but his coach, Ryan McGill, thinks of him as much more than that saying, “He’s definitely underselling himself when he tells you he’s more of a playmaker because he’s an all-around player, a 200-foot guy who kills penalties, takes faceoffs, and on top of that is the smartest player on the ice,” McGill told NHL.com.

Oh, and he’s also one of the youngest players in the draft as he won’t turn 18 until Aug. 10.

Highlights

NHL Potential

He needs another year or two in the OHL and then Suzuki should be able to jump into an NHL lineup as a top-6 forward. He reminds me of Claude Giroux, a smaller do-it-all center.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

If Suzuki falls in the draft, he could be a guy that the Avs might have interest in trading back into the first round to take, although he should be worth a look at No. 4. If any of that happens, he could fit into the Avs lineup, in a few years, at either wing or center.