Suzdalev has had an interesting development path since being taken 70th overall by the Capitals in 2022. He had a strong WHL rookie season with 38 goals, 48 assists and 86 points in 66 games back in 2022-23, but then went back to Sweden partway through the following WHL campaign. He came back to North America, and suited up for 50 games with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, and scored 15 goals, 24 assists and 39 points. He managed to sneak into three AHL games for the Hershey Bears during the season as well. With his ELC signed, it’s reasonable to expect him to see more ice time in Hershey for the upcoming season.

At the end of December, Suzdalev was loaned back to the WHL after his rights were traded to the Saskatoon Blades. In 13 games with Mora, he had three points and really was not given a great amount of ice time. With Saskatoon he has 18 points in 19 games, which is pretty underwhelming considering where he was last season but the Blades are a deep and loaded team so he is not leaned on like he was with the Pats last year.

Suzdalev did not get in one game for the Bears and the Capitals instead decided to loan him to Mora IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan league in hopes of getting him better experience than playing again in junior.

Suzdalev was sent down to the Hershey Bears as the Capitals are planning to let him play in the AHL right away after an impressive WHL campaign.

Wrapping up his impressive 2022-23 WHL campaign for the Regina Pats, Suzdalev was tied for 11th in overall scoring and first in rookie scoring, as well as being second in scoring for the Pats. He registered 10 points in seven games as the Pats lost in round one to the Saskatoon Blades. The Pats’ were not the most complete team in the WHL, but they had the best player in Bedard, so it was a long road to get in to the playoffs. Next season will be a true season for Suzdalev as people will not say he produced because he played with Bedard. Reminder though, he played with Bedard on the powerplay or when the team needed a goal at the end of the game, all other time he was on his own line. Suzdalev has been moving up prospect charts and is looking like a future top six skilled player for the Capitals.