Nick Suzuki expected to land on NHL Network’s Top 20 centers list, and Montreal’s captain could be centerpiece of the Canadiens’ “right now” evaluation

NHL Network is set to release its fourth and final “right now” ranking list on Sunday night, this time identifying the league’s top 20 centers. For the Montreal Canadiens, the attention is centered on Nick Suzuki, the team’s captain and long-time first-line pivot, who is expected to be included in the group. Yahoo Sports’ preview argues there is little doubt Suzuki will make the cut, but the story’s real question is where he lands on the list relative to the rest of the league’s elite center depth.

The lead-in context matters because NHL Network has already published three other “right now” position lists, and Montreal appeared prominently across them. In those earlier rankings, Cole Caufield was named the ninth-best winger, Lane Hutson was placed sixth among defensemen, and Jakub Dobes was ranked 10th at goaltender. That pattern sets up a straightforward expectation that the Canadiens will have at least one more representative when the network turns to centers.

Suzuki’s case, as framed by the preview, is tied less to novelty and more to role. He is not simply a top-level forward name on a stat sheet, he is the Canadiens’ offensive engine at center, a position that demands both creation and structure. Centers in NHL Network’s “right now” framing also tend to be judged on impact that is easy to see, from controlling play at even strength to driving the team’s two-way responsibilities in key stretches.

Because the list is being built around “right now,” it also functions as a snapshot of what evaluators see in current form rather than long-term reputation. That is particularly relevant for a franchise like Montreal, where competing narratives often swirl between development phases and immediate competitiveness. A high center ranking would reinforce the argument that the Canadiens’ core is ready to compete with the league’s standard-bearers, not merely grow toward them.

What we do not have yet is the actual ranking position. The preview stops short of declaring a number for Suzuki, emphasizing that the network’s center list will provide the final answer on Sunday night. Until the release, any specific placement should be treated as speculation, even if the inclusion itself appears to be the most likely outcome based on how the earlier Canadiens-related rankings were distributed.

Still, even without a confirmed slot, the broader takeaway is how Montreal’s talent is being grouped by position. With Canadiens players already recognized across wing, defense, and goaltending, Suzuki’s expected presence as the top-line center would tie the entire team’s identity together in a single league-wide assessment. If he lands near the top of the center list, it could serve as a clear report that Montreal’s leadership at center is being viewed as among the league’s most influential.

For fans and analysts, the immediate next watch is the exact ordering once NHL Network publishes the Top 20 centers list. The ranking number will shape how the conversation moves from “Suzuki belongs” to “Suzuki is where,” and that, in turn, tends to affect how fans interpret matchups, line structure, and the team-building logic the Canadiens are pursuing.

If Suzuki’s ranking turns out to be lower than some Canadiens supporters might expect, it would likely shift the debate toward how the network compares production and two-way value among centers at the very top. Either way, the list will provide a rare, all-at-once league comparison that can reframe how Montreal’s core is perceived going into the rest of the season.