Prospect Info: Nick Suzuki Part IV

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Hfbsux

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Dec 22, 2012
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What does KK doing the team has to do with Suzuki? Not every U20 player develop at the same speed. I don't know about you guys, but I always thought he'd play the wing, only these last weeks that I might see him playing down the middle as his production increased significantly when Guelph put him back at center. I thought I was in the majority thinking this (correct me if im wrong). So where does that vision now blurred up coming from? Weird text..
 
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DangerDave

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This guy has never seen Suzuki play outside of the juniors clearly. His vision has blurred and he's suddenly more well known for his smooth skating? Okay there...
 
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Habs Halifax

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I like Suzuki a lot but I think his ceiling and basement projections are a wide margin. Skating and edge work needs to improve if he wants to be a impact NHL player. Skill and vision is off the charts though.

Dominating in the CHL is nice and step 1. Lets see how his game translates when he turns pro next season
 
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DinosaurBones

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I get the hype and also love it but I also feel like so many people are hoping Suzuki is our next big thing. He doesn't work hard enough (so far) maybe that's because where hes playing. He hasn't shown flashes of "yeah im first line and youll like it." Unless his compete level comes way up hes behind Poehling for me. Maybe not point wise but value wise. Just work...
 
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le_sean

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I wouldn’t say he doesn’t work hard, he’s just cerebral. Not everyone plays like Brendan Gallagher, and that’s fine. Suzuki is a master at puck anticipation. His passing is ridiculous and he has a great shot. He’ll be a contributor in the NHL, but it will be as a winger. This is fine too as a talented winger is exactly what this team needs right now.
 

DangerDave

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I get the hype and also love it but I also feel like so many people are hoping Suzuki is our next big thing. He doesn't work hard enough (so far) maybe that's because where hes playing. He hasn't shown flashes of "yeah im first line and youll like it." Unless his compete level comes way up hes behind Poehling for me. Maybe not point wise but value wise. Just work...
LeSean summed it up pretty well. Suzuki plays in the same way Datsyuk plays. Looks like he's not trying but the puck is always on his stick for some reason.

The problem with him at the juniors was that their was no system in place and he looked lost at times. It was very much a free for all out there. This is a guy who needs a structured system to play in. It's hard for a guy who relies on reading a play to anticipate in this sort of environment.
 
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Habs Halifax

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I remember Jeff O'Neil talking about Marner. He quoted himself from when Marner was playing CHL and said, he won't be able to do this in the NHL. He admitted he was wrong. Now lets flip this same thinking towards Suzuki. He is making CHL defenseman look silly with his vision and stick handling.

What is the biggest difference between Marner and Suzuki in the CHL? It's skating. This is my only concern with Suzuki in terms of his ability to create time and space for himself once he turns pro. His skating is not terrible and it's decent but it's also not his strength. This is why Suzuki was not able to be a top player in the WJC IMO.

Send this info to Suzuki... if he want's to dominate in the NHL like he is in the CHL, he is going to have to work at becoming an elite level skater... better edge work and better lower body strength helps. The offensive skills are most certainly there.
 

Fixxer

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Jul 28, 2016
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I wouldn’t say he doesn’t work hard, he’s just cerebral. Not everyone plays like Brendan Gallagher, and that’s fine. Suzuki is a master at puck anticipation. His passing is ridiculous and he has a great shot. He’ll be a contributor in the NHL, but it will be as a winger. This is fine too as a talented winger is exactly what this team needs right now.
I once criticized Suzuki comparing him to becoming a Weal or so. After looking back and all, I now "get it". He is indeed a cerebral player. I don't want to hype him too much, but as a comparison.. Nikita Kucherov. When I see Kucherov play, I find that he seem to just float but then. (BAM) does a play and his team scores. Or, he rifles a shot and there you go, another point. I was NOT impressed with Suzuki at the Montreal training camp. These kind of players have a more "subtle" kind of talent. You don't see it, it's in their head. They look like average joe. One move or pass can turn things around and change the dynamic of the whole offense. I guess being cerebral is the opposite of being flashy.
Therefore, I won't "judge" him until next training camp and what comes up about his AHL/NHL debut(s). Meanwhile, I hope he keeps producing. -- I agree that he might become a scoring winger in the NHL, rather than a center. Playmaking winger too.
 

Mrb1p

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I remember Jeff O'Neil talking about Marner. He quoted himself from when Marner was playing CHL and said, he won't be able to do this in the NHL. He admitted he was wrong. Now lets flip this same thinking towards Suzuki. He is making CHL defenseman look silly with his vision and stick handling.

What is the biggest difference between Marner and Suzuki in the CHL? It's skating. This is my only concern with Suzuki in terms of his ability to create time and space for himself once he turns pro. His skating is not terrible and it's decent but it's also not his strength. This is why Suzuki was not able to be a top player in the WJC IMO.

Send this info to Suzuki... if he want's to dominate in the NHL like he is in the CHL, he is going to have to work at becoming an elite level skater... better edge work and better lower body strength helps. The offensive skills are most certainly there.
His edge works are actually really good, hes just not an explosive skater and he's also not a player that wants to go all out.

There's also a pretty big difference in their shooting ability.
 
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Mrb1p

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Still incredibly impressive to get a guy that became the top rated prospect in the system for a player that everyone knew was being traded.
Imagine trading Karlsson and getting Josh Norris for him :laugh: The fourth best ranked prospect on the SJ board earlier this summer. (Balcers too, but I like to think he has lesser value.)
 
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Habs Halifax

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His edge works are actually really good, hes just not an explosive skater and he's also not a player that wants to go all out.

There's also a pretty big difference in their shooting ability.

I didn't think he looked too much out of place in pre-season. So am I concerned he disappoints and can't do the things in the NHL like he is doing in the CHL? Yes, I have to say I have some concerns. The thing we can't calculate is the hunger to get better.

I have cautious optimism with Suzuki.
 

A55P2

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Jul 14, 2009
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I once criticized Suzuki comparing him to becoming a Weal or so. After looking back and all, I now "get it". He is indeed a cerebral player. I don't want to hype him too much, but as a comparison.. Nikita Kucherov. When I see Kucherov play, I find that he seem to just float but then. (BAM) does a play and his team scores. Or, he rifles a shot and there you go, another point. I was NOT impressed with Suzuki at the Montreal training camp. These kind of players have a more "subtle" kind of talent. You don't see it, it's in their head. They look like average joe. One move or pass can turn things around and change the dynamic of the whole offense. I guess being cerebral is the opposite of being flashy.
Therefore, I won't "judge" him until next training camp and what comes up about his AHL/NHL debut(s). Meanwhile, I hope he keeps producing. -- I agree that he might become a scoring winger in the NHL, rather than a center. Playmaking winger too.

He does seem to have self-knowledge of his own skills and when to do certain moves at the right time. That's something that can hardly be taught. I think he could become Tatar-like, but with a different skillset. Like Tatar, Suzuki doesn't have great physical attributes, but they both find ways to make the right play almost everytime. Tatar brought so much structure to the team this year, I hope Suzuki can do the same.
 
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Sorinth

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Jan 18, 2013
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LeSean summed it up pretty well. Suzuki plays in the same way Datsyuk plays. Looks like he's not trying but the puck is always on his stick for some reason.

The problem with him at the juniors was that their was no system in place and he looked lost at times. It was very much a free for all out there. This is a guy who needs a structured system to play in. It's hard for a guy who relies on reading a play to anticipate in this sort of environment.

Isn't it the opposite, a guy who can read the play would be fine without a system, a guy who can't read the play relies on system to know where to go and where other people should be.
 

Guns n Roses

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Feb 26, 2019
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I remember Jeff O'Neil talking about Marner. He quoted himself from when Marner was playing CHL and said, he won't be able to do this in the NHL. He admitted he was wrong. Now lets flip this same thinking towards Suzuki. He is making CHL defenseman look silly with his vision and stick handling.

What is the biggest difference between Marner and Suzuki in the CHL? It's skating. This is my only concern with Suzuki in terms of his ability to create time and space for himself once he turns pro. His skating is not terrible and it's decent but it's also not his strength. This is why Suzuki was not able to be a top player in the WJC IMO.

Send this info to Suzuki... if he want's to dominate in the NHL like he is in the CHL, he is going to have to work at becoming an elite level skater... better edge work and better lower body strength helps. The offensive skills are most certainly there.
I want Suzuki, Poehling and Brook all in the AHL under Bouchard next season if possible. All working on their game.
 

DangerDave

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Feb 8, 2015
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Isn't it the opposite, a guy who can read the play would be fine without a system, a guy who can't read the play relies on system to know where to go and where other people should be.
Not really. Hard to read a play when the team is just running around like a chicken with its head cut off. When you know what your teammates are gonna do and where they are gonna be, it becomes a lot easier to anticipate the play and be creative. Suzuki is the kinda player that runs the play out in his head before it happens but if theirs no chemistry or structure, that becomes really hard
 
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