NHL Player of the Month: Nick Suzuki
The season hasn’t gone the way any of the players had hoped when they arrived for training camp in mid-September. Nick Suzuki was one of the players who felt a playoff series was in the team’s future, but defensive issues and several individual struggles from the players — himself included — have kept the team at the bottom of the standings.
Through it all the captain has continued to be productive. He has 22 points through 23 games as he tries once again to be a point-per-game player after falling five points shy last season. Perhaps more importantly, he’s sitting on an even goal differential, joined by Kaiden Guhle as the only two players with that mark, as he also aims for his first season not finishing in the red.
In November, Suzuki led the team with five goals and tied with linemate Cole Caufield at nine points. All five of those goals came at even strength and he was credited with the winner in two of the four games in which the Canadiens managed to earn the victory, both versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Lane Hutson sets up Nick Suzuki for the OT winner The Habs have finally won a game where they were trailing this year
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 11:17 PM
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The Canadiens seem to have figured out their main issues on defence, and Alex Newhook is beginning to look like he did last season on Suzuki’s right wing. Add in Caufield staying among the top goal-scorers in the league and the imminent addition of Patrik Laine to the lineup, and big things could be in store for Suzuki in December.
Honourable mention: Brendan Gallagher
The question for Brendan Gallagher was always how long his body could hold together playing such a physical brand of hockey, battered and bruised in front of the net every game he played. Rather than playing that same style until it was no longer possible, he’s made changes to his game, with some guidance from Martin St-Louis, and he’s making his impact in a different way. But he has still been his normal combative self in other situations, recently having a 10-hit game versus Utah HC.
Offence now comes more from shooting and tipping the puck rather than jamming it through a goaltender. He averaged under 14 minutes of ice time in November, but contributed four goals and four assists, and has been a big factor on the Canadiens’ second power-play unit.
Brendan Gallagher with the tip and it's 1-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 10:19 PM
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Gallagher enjoyed a healthy season last year, playing 77 games, and has been in the lineup for all 23 this year. The new approach is clearly working to keep him in the lineup, allowing him to contribute offensively, and extending his career.
— Justin Blades
AHL Player of the Month: Jared Davidson
With the Laval Rocket beginning hitting a slide, there was a newly emerging bright spot on the team that was perhaps a bit underrated last season. With Joshua Roy eventually earning an NHL recall, and injuries forcing some key pieces in and out of the lineup, Jared Davidson stepped up in a big way.
Scoring seven goals and three assists, he’s rocketed up up the team chart and taken over the team lead in goals. It is a strong showing from the sophomore forward who earned a full entry-level deal last summer after a solid rookie AHL season. His game might lack some of the sizzle and flash of Roy’s, but he has all the same finishing talent.
Jared Davidson with a bardown rocket Laval leads 2-0!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) November 23, 2024 at 9:05 PM
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While not the biggest player, Davidson is never far from the dirty areas, nor from the soft spots of the ice where he has become a lethal finisher. His shot is heavy and accurate, and has allowed Davidson to slide seamlessly into the Rocket top six.
With Brandon Gignac out long-term, Roy on recall, and several prospects struggling at the moment, it’s been an ideal time for Davidson to find that next level to his professional game.
— Scott Matla
European Prospect of the Month: Oliver Kapanen
Kapanen has only played seven games since his return to Sweden after a long stint in Montreal, but in those games Kapanen was instrumental as a centre on the first line.
Three of his points came as he has set up a play in the defensive zone after the opposing team has pulled the goalie, two of them by winning the faceoff. But it is Kapanen’s overall play that earns him the POTM award. He is strong and uses his body the right way to be effective in the defensive zone.
He has struggled with going from 10 minutes a night in the NHL to 20 minutes a night in the SHL, but he should only get better with adjusting to a stricter game as the season goes on. Now everyone just awaits his first goal.
Honourable mention: In the shadows of other Montreal prospects, and his defensive partner Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Rasmus Bergqvist keeps playing 10 to 12 minutes a night and is really making the choice to not include him for the World Juniors difficult.
— Patrik Bexell
North American Prospect of the Month: Jacob Fowler
Despite both Sam Harris and Michael Hage scoring above a point-per-game pace in the NCAA, Jacob Fowler runs away with the honours for November. The 19-year-old netminder posted a 1.63 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage last month across eight games, including two shutouts — one against Maine, and the other against Northeastern.
Although Fowler didn’t face much top-end competition over the past 30 days, the Habs’ third-rounder in 2023 managed to keep his team in difficult games. His side allowed more than 25 shots in six consecutive games, during which Fowler saved all but seven of the 168 shots he faced, good for a .958 save percentage in that stretch.
As Fowler continues to improve his conditioning, his mobility and athleticism follows close behind. He seems more and more comfortable post-to-post, and is starting to show more aggression in the crease — perhaps too much so. The netminder threw a right jab at a UConn forward after he crashed the net and scored in a rare bad showing from the Habs’ prospect, and was suspended for one game as a result.
Habs fans might have some doubts about Fowler stemming from Cayden Primeau’s career trajectory so far, but Fowler’s case is much different. Primeau was playing behind the top defence in college hockey at the time, while Fowler’s defence corps is mostly comprised of puck-movers. He is challenged in different ways every night. Sometimes, he fails to live up to those challenges, but he always learns and adjusts. An early contract this spring for Fowler wouldn’t be surprising, in order to get him in Laval as soon as possible.
— Hadi Kalakeche
| NHL Player | AHL Player | EU Prospect | NA Prospect | PWHL Player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | Nick Suzuki | Jared Davidson | Oliver Kapanen | Jacob Fowler | |
| October | Cole Caufield | Joshua Roy | Ivan Demidov | Sam Harris |
