2019 NHL Draft: Hurricanes take a risk on Suzuki

With the 28th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes selected Ryan Suzuki from the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.

The 6’0″, 181 lb. center scored 25 goals and recorded 50 assists last season.

Pros

Suzuki has elite hockey sense. The guy knows where he needs to be on the ice and how to get there at any given time with or without the puck. He has the vision and patience to find the opening and the speed to take advantage of it offensively.

Suzuki’s speed, vision, and hockey IQ gives him a level of playmaking ability that should translate to the next level. His combination of skills should allow him to slice up a defense when given space to work.

Cons

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There are a couple risks with Suzuki. The first and easiest to work with is his slightly underdeveloped size. you’d prefer your 6’0″ forward to be a little bigger than 181 lbs, but that is something that can be fixed with a good weight program and a couple of years of work. Suzuki is unlikely to be NHL ready next year so he has time to grow in the weight room.

The bigger concern is his tendency to avoid the center of the ice and get to the dirty areas. It has been noted that his game recently lacked that determination and grittiness. With Rod Brind’Amour preaching a more physical style of play, how will Suzuki fit into this system?

This concern could be simply a player not wanting to hurt his stock with an injury before the draft. it could also be a mentality issue. If it is a real issue, it’s possible that Rod and Checkers Coach Mike Velluci are able to coach it out of him before he reaches NHL level. It’s also possible this pick simply would never fit the system.

Conclusion

Suzuki is a player with high upside that comes with a potential risk, something you’ll find in most late first-round picks. Luckily the Canes are in a good position to where the coaching staff has a consistent mindset between AHL and NHL coaching him in the skills he needs to work on. I don’t see him playing on NHL ice for a while but I do believe that when Rod and Mike get ahold of him, worries about his style of play will be assuaged.

Suzuki is not a game changer, but if you were expecting the next Svechnikov at 28 in this draft, you weren’t paying attention. Suzuki was the right call at the point he was selected. It will be interesting to see how he develops in the future.