Suzuki And Matheson On Standby

It was a disappointment for Montreal Canadiens' captain Nick Suzuki not to be picked to represent Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and since the snub, he's performed very well.

So well in fact that according to TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie, Suzuki is one of the players figuring on the Team Canada reserve list in case of injuries and he's not the only Canadiens player either.

Should a Canadian blueliner run into injury trouble during the tournament, rearguard Mike Matheson could be called upon to fill in. While their teammates may set sail for sunny destinations between Feb. 12th to 20th, Suzuki and Matheson will be staying in town, ready to be called to action should one of their countryman be put out of action.

Related: Canadiens: Montembeault In, Suzuki Out

As has always been the case in the last few years, Suzuki leads all Canadiens players in points with 46 in 45 games, he's also second in goals behind sniper Cole Caufield and second in assists behind none other than rookie phenom Lane Hutson. The captain also leads in game-winning goals with five and he's the only Hab to have scored in overtime with four extra time lamplighters. While he's not the most spectacular player, Suzuki has been a rock for the Canadiens and will keep being their backbone for years to come.

As for Matheson, he has 22 points in 43 games this season, a rhythm that projects to 42 points across a complete 82-game calendar, down from a 62-point output last season. It's not so much that Matheson has regressed, but Hutson's arrival and blooming has cut into his power play time. The veteran retained his spot on the first power play unit initially, but Hutson's fulgurant progress eventually cost him his spot.

Related: Caufield Left off 4 Nations Roster

The blueliner has another year left to his contract and while there are some lamenting that he should have been moved last season when his value was at an all-time high, there's no denying he's an important piece of this Montreal Canadiens team.

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