Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki will miss two-to-four weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Thursday.
This marks Suzuki's first injury absence of his career after appearing in 546 consecutive games dating back to his 2019-20 rookie campaign.
Suzuki leads Montreal with 12 points in nine contests to start the season.
"It's a huge loss," Suzuki's teammate Cole Caufield said, according to the Associated Press. "Nobody can really fill Suzy's shoes. We know that as a group. Everybody has to step up."
The 27-year-old notched a career-high 101 points and won the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward in 2025-26. He also added 16 points in 19 playoff games as the Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference Final.
Montreal's center depth behind Suzuki was already a question mark and will be tested during his absence. Alex Newhook, Phillip Danault, and Jake Evans typically line up behind Suzuki down the middle on the Canadiens' depth chart.
The Habs are 4-3-2 to start the campaign. They take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday before meeting the Winnipeg Jets in the Heritage Classic on Sunday.
