Revisiting the Canadiens’ Trade for Nick Suzuki – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

Marc Bergevin made his fair share of controversial moves during his tenure as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Some worked, others did not, but few had a bigger long-term impact on the organization than the trade that sent Max Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights.

At the time, Montreal was moving on from its captain and entering a transition period. Nearly eight years later, the return for Pacioretty has helped shape the Canadiens’ current core. More specifically, it brought Nick Suzuki to Montreal, where he has developed into the team’s captain, first-line centre and one of the NHL’s most consistent forwards. Looking back at it today, there is a strong argument that it was the best trade Bergevin made during his time in Montreal.

The Trade

On September 10, 2018, the Canadiens traded Pacioretty to the Golden Knights in exchange for Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a 2019 second-round pick.

Pacioretty’s departure had become increasingly likely throughout the offseason. Montreal was coming off a difficult 2017-18 campaign, and with the winger approaching the final year of his contract, Bergevin decided it was time to move on.

The Canadiens received an established NHL forward in Tatar, a high-end prospect in Suzuki and an additional draft pick. That second-round pick did not ultimately produce anything directly for Montreal. It was later traded to the Los Angeles Kings, who used it to select Samuel Fagemo. Suzuki, however, completely changed the complexion of the deal. Selected 13th overall by Vegas in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Suzuki was still playing junior hockey when the trade happened. There was plenty to like about his potential, but few could have predicted just how important he would eventually become to the Canadiens.

How It Aged

Pacioretty was productive during his time in Vegas. He recorded 194 points in 224 regular-season games with the Golden Knights and provided the scoring ability they were looking for when they acquired him. The biggest issue was his availability, as injuries prevented him from consistently staying in the lineup. Vegas eventually moved on in the summer of 2022, trading Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan to the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations in a move designed largely to create salary-cap flexibility.

Meanwhile, Montreal received value from the deal almost immediately. Tatar became an important part of the Canadiens’ lineup and found significant success alongside Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. He finished his Montreal tenure with 149 points in 198 regular-season games before leaving as a free agent and signing with the New Jersey Devils in 2021.

Getting three productive seasons out of Tatar already made him a valuable piece of the return, but Suzuki is what turned the trade into a franchise-altering move. Suzuki quickly established himself as a core player in Montreal and played an important role during the Canadiens’ run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. In 2022, he was named the 31st captain in franchise history and the youngest player ever to receive the honour.

He has since developed into Montreal’s unquestioned first-line centre. Suzuki won the Selke Trophy in 2025-26, establishing himself as one of the NHL’s premier two-way forwards, and at just 27 years old, he remains right in the middle of his prime. What started as trading away the Canadiens’ captain eventually resulted in Montreal finding its next one.

Long-Term Value Over Short-Term Gain

It is easy to criticize the Golden Knights with the benefit of hindsight, but their decision to acquire Pacioretty made sense at the time.

Vegas had just reached the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season and was already looking to win. The organization had accumulated plenty of draft picks and prospects through the expansion process, giving management the assets necessary to aggressively improve its roster. Pacioretty was an established goal scorer who could help them immediately, and he did exactly that.

The problem was not necessarily trading a prospect. It was trading the wrong one. During the 2017 NHL Draft, Vegas selected Cody Glass sixth overall, Suzuki 13th and Erik Brannstrom 15th. The Golden Knights had suddenly built an impressive group of young assets they could either develop or use to acquire established talent.

Eventually, all three were traded. Suzuki was the first to go, and he ended up becoming by far the best NHL player of the three. Vegas still achieved its ultimate goal by winning the Stanley Cup in 2023, so it is difficult to argue that its aggressive approach failed. However, imagining Suzuki developing into a star while wearing a Golden Knights jersey remains one of the great what-ifs from the franchise’s early years.

For Montreal, there is much less to debate. Bergevin turned an aging captain approaching the end of his contract into three productive seasons from Tatar and, most importantly, the player who would eventually become the Canadiens’ next captain and franchise centre. Bergevin made several strong trades during his tenure, but none left a greater long-term legacy than the deal that brought Nick Suzuki to Montreal.