Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 19 Nick Suzuki

As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Nick Suzuki. The playmaking centre had a great season in Owen Sound, with his solid two-way play garnering a lot of interest.

The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.

This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.

On Thursday, we looked at Michael Rasmussen. Today, we profile Nick Suzuki, who is the 19th-ranked prospect on our board.

Suzuki was taken with the 14th pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. In his first season, Suzuki had 38 points in 63 games, finishing sixth in team scoring as a 16-year-old.

This season, Suzuki put his entire skill set on display, finishing with 45 goals and 96 total points, good enough for second in team scoring. He also killed penalties for the Attack and managed to be a threat on the kill, scoring five shorthanded goals.

Suzuki had two standout performances during the season. His first came against the Barrie Colts, where he had two goals and three assists:

He matched that effort a month later, against the Guelph Storm:

Here’s what Peter Harling of Dobber Prospects had to say about Suzuki:

"Suzuki is an undersized dynamic offensive player who uses his speed and playmaking ability to impact the game. While slightly undersized he is not shy to play physically and go to the net or dig for pucks in the corner. Suzuki thinks the game fast and has the hands and feet to match which makes him a projectable NHL player. Suzuki has a motor that won’t quit on plays and he is a reliable back checker as well making him an effective two-way player"

Some have compared Suzuki to Matt Duchene, with the former having the upper hand in many categories over the latter.

Owen Sound had a solid playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to Erie — the eventual J. Ross Robertson Cup winners — in six games.

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Suzuki finished the playoffs with 23 points in 17 games. He also made an appearance with Canada in the summer at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where he had a goal and two assists in four games.

Ryan isn’t the only top talent in his family. His brother Ryan was taken first overall in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection by Barrie in April. He’ll be eligible for the 2019 draft, so the brothers could face each other in the NHL down the road.

This is Nick’s year, however. He’ll have to wait until the mid stages of the first round, but he’ll be a great add for a team in the top 20.

Next: Leafs' Jesper Lindgren signs with Finnish team HPK

What’s your take on Suzuki? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted 19th overall, or is this too high or low? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.