Nick Suzuki: 6th highest scorer in the excellent 2017 draft

For Canadiens fans, it’s hard to contain their joy when they think of the team’s bright future.

Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher… The future is bright.

But a few players who will be part of the future are also part of the present. I’m talking about Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield, especially. As for the captain, he’s the team’s highest-paid forward, number-one long-term center and captain. In other words, he’s the heart and soul of the team.

Across the NHL, he’s certainly one of the best young players of his age. In any case, the numbers don’t lie: of all the players drafted in 2017, he’s the sixth-highest scorer.

And needless to say, 2017 was one of the best drafts in recent years…

Most points from the 2017 draft:

412 – Elias Pettersson
353 – Nico Hischier
336 – Cale Makar
315 – Robert Thomas
314 – Jason Robertson
286 – Nick Suzuki

One of the most stacked draft classes in the last decade. pic.twitter.com/dZB9vLm5gH

– Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) July 11, 2024

Guys like Nico Hischier, Nolan Patrick, Elias Pettersson, Cale Makar, Robert Thomas, Jason Robertson were selected that year.

Of the 12 players selected before Suzuki at this auction, only three had more points in their careers. They were Makar, Pettersson and Hischier. The Habs protégé was more productive than the likes of Miro Heiskanen, Martin Necas, Gabriel Vilardi and Casey Mittlestadt. That’s no mean feat.

Drafted 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights, Suzuki really had a fantastic season in 2023-2024. His 77 points (including 33 goals) are obviously a personal best. He was close to a point per game for the rest of the season.

If the 2017 draft were to be repeated, where would he be drafted? 6th, behind Pettersson, Makar, Thomas, Robertson and Heiskanen?

My guess is as good as yours on that one.