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Nick Suzuki of the Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is the favorite to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.

The NHL announced the three finalists for the award on Wednesday. Aside from Suzuki, Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche are the finalists for the award, which is given annually to the league’s best defensive forward. Typically, the award is given to a forward who excels at the defensive part of the game, but who also has a high point total, essentially making it an annual award for the league’s best two-way forward.

Nick Suzuki is the Favorite to Win

When the Selke Trophy award winner is announced in June, it would be a huge surprise if anyone other than Suzuki won it.

The 26-year-old Canadiens captain is in his seventh season with the Habs. He played in all 82 regular-season games for the fifth season in a row, scoring 29 goals and 101 points, while being a +37. In addition to his incredible point total, he was one of the league’s top stoppers at the forward position, while playing the most minutes among all Canadiens forwards and being one of the league’s top faceoff men. This is Suzuki’s first time being nominated for the Selke Trophy, and he will be looking to join Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau as Selke winners in franchise history.

Suzuki is also one of the NHL’s top “iron men,” having never missed a game in his career to injury. He has played in 537 consecutive games since he joined the league in 2019, which is second among current players to Brent Burns of the Colorado Avalanche, who has played in 1,007 straight games. Given Burns is 41 and likely nearing the end of his career, Suzuki may eventually overtake him for the “iron man” streak.

Cirelli and Nelson Both Had Strong Seasons

While Suzuki is the clear favorite to win this award, both Cirelli and Nelson had strong seasons in their own right, and each player deserves this recognition.

Cirelli played 71 games for the Lightning, scoring 23 goals and 52 points with a +38. A Selke finalist for the second straight season, Cirelli was an important faceoff man for the Lightning while also being one of the team’s top penalty killers. The 28-year-old Canadian has been known as one of the league’s best defensive forwards for years, and he has been a part of two Stanley Cup-winning teams in Tampa Bay. If he wins, Cirelli would become the first player in franchise history to capture the Selke Trophy for the Bolts.

Nelson played in 81 games for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche, adding 33 goals and 65 points, and he was +15. He was terrific in the faceoff circle, and he was also one of the Avs’ top penalty killers. The 34-year-old American is in his second season in Colorado after spending most of his career with the New York Islanders. He will be looking to become the first Avalanche player to win the Selke Trophy, though he will have an uphill battle against Suzuki.