P.K. Subban’s name is once again popping up in trade rumors, only this time, it appears reports suggest the Montreal Canadiens defenseman isn’t going anywhere.
Darren Dreger of TSN.ca appeared on TSN Montreal 690 Radio and said he talked with a general manager in the Western Conference who tried to ask about the talented rearguard and was “flat-out told that (Subban) wasn’t going to be available.” The report falls in line with what Darren Dreger reported in February, amidst rumors that the Canadiens were shopping him.
It’s refreshing to hear Marc Bergevin isn’t shopping Subban. Honestly, what’s his incentive to do so?
The 27-year-old is one of the top defensemen in the entire league and is currently in his prime. Subban’s an elite offensive defenseman, who’s a solid defensive player. He put up an impressive 51 points in 68 games last season – hitting the 50+ point mark in three straight seasons.
Subban logged more than 26 minutes per game in 2015-16, but he could be trusted more defensively by Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien. He finished the season with a 52.3 Corsi for, which likely would have been higher if he wasn’t paired with Andrei Markov for over 800 minutes at even strength.
Bottom line is, for those who don’t think Subban is an elite defenseman, you’re wrong.
On top of his strong on-ice play, Subban is generous and extremely involved in the Montreal community, evident by his staggering $10 million donation to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. It’s rare to find a player who means as much to the city as Subban does on and off the ice for the team.
Subban is also one of the league’s best personalities and is always a good sport at NHL events.
Subban is set to earn $9 million per season until 2021-22 (per Cap Friendly) and despite that high salary, it’s no surprise he’s coveted around the league. Teams would love to add a defenseman like Subban to their roster. He’s a Norris Trophy winner for a reason. An offer to get Subban from the Canadiens would have to be both huge and insane for the team to deal him. Montreal has him locked up for years to come, so it’s not like they’re going to pull a Dougie Hamilton and trade him out of fear. Again, why would they trade him?
Bergevin has assembled a talented core with Alex Galchenyuk, Max Pacioretty, Carey Price, Brendan Gallagher and Subban. You don’t want to blow that up. Montreal did miss the playoffs this season, but that’s more due to Carey Price being out for a large part of the season. It’s no surprise Bergevin is telling team’s he’s not interested in dealing Subban – he’s the solution, not the problem.
Other tweaks to the roster need be made for the Canadiens to return to playoff contention. Trading Subban would be a massive step back. Telling teams no is the only appropriate response when asked if Subban is available. Hell, Bergevin should straight up hang up on fellow GMs who even mention his name. Subban should be in a Montreal Canadiens uniform for years to come.
[theScore]
