​RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 21: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montreal Canadiens arrives prior to Game One against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Lenovo Center on May 21, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images) GettyRALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 29: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montréal Canadiens shoots the puck against Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 29, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 08: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates during the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) GettyThe Montreal Canadiens have an elite NHL center, and a new league ranking may have undersold just how high their captain belongs.NHL Network released its annual list of the top 20 centers on Aug. 24, placing Nick Suzuki ninth.The ranking represents another step forward after Suzuki landed at No. 10 a year ago, but his 2025-26 action gives Montreal a fair argument that he could have climbed even further.That case becomes particularly interesting one spot above him.Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews landed at No. 8 despite coming off the least productive season of his NHL career.For Suzuki, the debate is less about whether he belongs among the league’s elite centers. Where should the line have been drawn in this ranking following a career year?Suzuki Put Together an Elite Two-Way SeasonGettyRALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 29: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montréal Canadiens shoots the puck against Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 29, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)Suzuki forced a top-10 ranking from the NHL Network after setting career highs with 101 points and 72 assists in 82 games. He also scored 29 goals, finished plus-37 and recorded 43 power-play points, which was good for second in the NHL.The Canadiens captain then added 16 points in 19 playoff games as Montreal advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.His offensive breakout came alongside another major accomplishment — the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. He received 151 first-place votes on 198 ballots and finishing with 1,726 voting points. Runner-up Anthony Cirelli finished with 467.One of the strongest all-around seasons of any center in 2025-26 hockey was Suzuki’s.Further in his favor, Montreal held a 94-58 advantage in even-strength goals with Suzuki on the ice. He averaged 20:49 per game, took 1,449 faceoffs and won 50.4% of