Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

P.K. Subban

Western Conference Notes: Schmaltz, Subban, Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Evidently the new Las Vegas expansion team is wasting little time getting up and running. As we mentioned yesterday, the newest entry in the Western Conference was closing in on naming the first GM in franchise history. Today we learned a press conference has indeed been scheduled for tomorrow at 1 pm PST where club owner Bill Foley is expected to announce his choice. Speculation, and that’s all it is at this point, is that George McPhee, formerly the longtime GM of the Washington Capitals and currently serving as an adviser with the Islanders under Garth Snow, will be named Las Vegas’ inaugural GM.

More from the wild, wild West:

  • Chicago GM Stan Bowman deserves a lot of credit for maintaining the Hawks presence as a Stanley Cup contender despite annual salary dumps, including this summer’s trades of Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw. His ability to constantly juggle his roster while remaining cap compliant is due to the constant infusion of affordable young talent the organization continues to find and develop. Mark Lazarus of the Chicago Sun Times profiles several youngsters who aim to make the Hawks roster for the 2016-17 season.
  • Addressing questions from the reader mailbag, Adam Vingan of the Tennessean speculates how the Predators will employ shiny new toy, P.K. Subban. Like many, I thought the Predators got the better end of the Subban-for-Shea Weber trade. Subban is an electrifying talent still in his prime at 27 while Weber would seem to be on the downside as he approaches his 31st birthday. Plus with another decade remaining on Weber’s contract with a cap hit in excess of $7.8MM per, the Canadiens took on a healthy amount of risk on the back end of his deal.
  • From the same mailbag, Vingan also deals with the same tough choices every NHL GM will have to face between now and the expansion draft; namely which quality NHL player or players will they leave exposed. The league certainly went out of its way to ensure Las Vegas will be able to add legitimate talent and a lot of teams will be in the unenviable position of allowing a good player to leave for nothing.
  • The Subban deal wasn’t the only blockbuster trade completed this summer and it may not even by the one most panned by critics. Nearly every pundit thought the Devils pilfered LW Taylor Hall from Edmonton with Adam Larsson the return going to the Oilers. But it may not be as bad as it seems. Bottom line is GM Peter Chiarelli absolutely needed to upgrade his defense corps and likely didn’t have a lot of palatable options with which to do so. Plenty of young, RFA defensemen have been rumored to possibly be available via trade but exactly none have been moved to date despite the abundant need for quality blueliners around the league. Plus, unlike those RFA’s who would need new contracts with salaries inflating, Larsson comes at the beginning of a freshly inked deal that pays him a shade over $4.1MM on average for the next five seasons. That cost control has value. Fact is, Chiarelli might have made the best deal possible at the time, even if it ends up being a net negative in the long run.

Canadiens Owner Confident Subban Trade Is Good For Team

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens will be better off for trading P.K. Subban, according to the team’s owner and president Geoff Molson. Molson spoke about the controversial trade at Monday’s press conference announcing the relocation of the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate from St. John’s to Laval.

The Canadian Press quoted Molson as saying he supports GM Marc Bergevin “100 per cent”, however he’s “not surprised how the fans reacted” because they “love him and still will love him”.

Subban has been a larger-than-life superstar for the Canadiens since his debut in 2009-10, amassing 63 goals and 278 points 434 regular season games. He’s added 38 points in 55 post-season games. The Toronto-native also donated $10MM to the Montreal Children’s Hospital last year, where he spends time visiting with patients.

Bergevin has been busy this summer, trading Subban, Lars Eller, and a pair of 2nd round picks picks for Shea Weber, Andrew Shaw, and two different 2nd round picks. He’s also signed highly-skilled, controversial-in-his-own-right Russian winger Alex Radulov to boost the offence, depth defenceman Zach Redmond, and Al Montoya to create competition in goal.

The Canadiens finished missed the playoffs last year, due in large part to Carey Price’s injury which limited him to just 12 games. Price is healthy and is expected start for Canada at the World Cup this September.

Molson said he and Subban have spoken since the trade, and Subban will continue his work with the Montreal Children’s Hospital. The Predators’ only visit to Montreal next season is March 2, a date Molson said he’s looking forward to.

 

Snapshots: Stamkos And Subban

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Steven Stamkos bidding war was ended very quickly by the player re-signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos was pitched by just three teams (Montreal, Buffalo, Toronto) before ending the process. That may be because of the Maple Leafs’ pitch, according to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun.

While teams bringing in big names to woo players isn’t uncommon (Oilers legends Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzky were famously involved in the Oilers acquiring Justin Schultz), the Maple Leafs may have gone overboard. Back in June, Simmons reported team president Brendan Shanahan, GM Lou Lamoriello, Toronto mayor John Tory, and Canadian Tire CEO Michael B. Medine all met with Stamkos to sell the Maple Leafs, Toronto, and potential endorsement opportunities. Simmons reported Sunday that after the meeting, Stamkos told his agent that he didn’t want any more meetings and he wanted to speak with Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. He was officially re-signed two days after his meeting in Toronto.

Other notes from around the league:

  • It was reported shortly after the P.K. Subban/ Shea Weber trade on June 29 that Nashville Predators would not honor Subban’s no-trade clause (NTC). Vice Sports columnist Sean McIndoe explored the bizarre rule that allowed the Predators to nix the clause one day before it was supposed to come into effect. Essentially, the CBA rules state that those clauses are binding to the acquiring team, unless the clause hasn’t come into effect yet. An NTC is often a hard-fought-for part of a contract, with players sometimes taking concessions on salary or term in order to get it. However, its doubtful that Subban made any concessions to get one, considering he will make $9MM per year until 2022. And while its also unlikely that the Predators will trade their new superstar, Subban would have no say if they decided to move him out before the end of his contract. Our Mike Furlano has previously explained no-trade and no-move clauses in more depth.
  • Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin told NHL.com that he has stayed away from reading media reports about the Subban trade, saying fans and media are guessing at what goes on behind the scenes. The Canadiens GM says he wants to “unplug” after a tough season. Bergevin also spoke about comparisons between the Patrick Roy trade and the Subban one, saying Roy won “two Stanley Cups … I’ve always believed that winning a Stanley Cup changes everything”.

Central Notes: Blues, Jets, Predators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Jake Allen is the undisputed #1 goalie in St. Louis writes Jeremy Rutherford as the Blues are no longer looking to platoon the position. After being a tandem with Brian Elliott, who was dealt to Calgary, Allen is now the top goaltender in the organization. General manager Doug Armstrong, goalie coach Jim Corsi, and assistant manager Martin Brodeur believe that it’s Allen’s turn, and like many other clubs around the league, are willing to hand the reins to a younger netminder.

  • While the Winnipeg Jets recently signed 2016 second overall pick Patrik Laine to an entry level deal, it’s the organization’s 2015 draft pick who is looking to make a stride within the organization. The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe writes that Kyle Connor, a Hobey Baker finalist, is ready to take the next step as an NHL player. Connor spent last season with the University of Michigan and scored 35 goals in just 38 games. He also notched 71 points. Though the ice is crowded with forwards for the Jets, Connor is confident that if he does the right things, the impact he made at Michigan will be similar in Winnipeg.
  • The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes about the impact of newly acquired P.K. Subban and how the larger than life defenseman will have no problem fitting into his new surroundings. While many speculated that Montreal bench boss Michel Therrien and Subban were at odds because of a personality clash, Vingan reports that Nashville coach Peter Laviolette is of a similar no-nonsense mentality. The difference, Vingan writes, is that the Preds stand to benefit from Subban’s “on the edge” and also takes chances, something he feels benefits the Predators style of play. Vingan goes further by quoting NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes, who stated that Subban wanted to be with an organization that values him. Weekes added that he thought “there are so many similarities between a place like Nashville and P.K.”

Montreal Asked For Draisaitl, 4th Overall, Plus for Subban

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After today’s Taylor Hall and PK Subban trades, Oilers fans might be wondering why the Oilers couldn’t get a deal done for Subban. Well here’s why: TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported Wednesday night that the asking price for the stud defenceman was Leon Draisaitl, the 4th overall pick which ultimately became Jesse Puljujärvi, one of Oscar Klefbom or Darnell Nurse, plus more.

Klefbom is the Oilers top defenceman next to Andrej Sekera and newly acquired Adam Larsson. Nurse is a highly promising former 7th overall pick who played most of last season in the NHL with mixed results but should develop hugely next season. The Oilers were likely not willing to part with such a big part of their future blue-line to improve it now.

Draisaitl showed massive improvement last season, cracking the 50-point barrier on a line with the now traded duo of Hall and Teddy Purcell. The big center can play both center and wing, and is expected to play a key role in the upcoming season in the Oilers top 6.

Those two pieces already represent a large trade value, before we get to the just-drafted Puljujärvi. The Finnish forward unexpectedly fell to 4th overall and is likely to play in the Oilers top 9 this season.

With those pieces plus the mystery of what “more” could mean, it’s understandable why the Oilers passed on Subban. However, it should be asked which group would help Edmonton turn the corner this season: Hall and Subban, or Drasaitl, Klefbom, Puljujärvi, and Larsson.

The answer to that debate can never be known. Edmonton passed on trading a massive haul for Subban to trade Hall for Larsson.

P.K. Subban Traded For Shea Weber

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Following the blockbuster trade of Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reports that P.K. Subban has been traded for Nashville defenceman Shea Weber.

Long rumored to be on the market, Subban has been a lightning rod for speculation over the past few weeks. While many thought a young crop of prospects might have been the return for the former Norris trophy winner, instead it’s the three-time 20 goal scoring defenseman Weber headed to Montreal.

By all accounts, this is a shocking trade that doesn’t seem to improve Montreal much in the short or long term. While Subban is owed $9MM per season for the next six, Weber is due $7.8MM for the next ten years, after Nashville matched an offer sheet signed by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012. Weber is also about to turn 31 and has seen a steep decline in both possession numbers and his overall play in recent years.

Subban, almost four years Weber’s junior, heads to a club coming off a deep playoff run and will probably pair up with the responsible and Norris-nominated Roman Josi to form one of the best pairings in the league. Even while in a ’down year’, Subban put up 51 points and is still considered an elite offensive defenseman.

After dealing away Seth Jones for Ryan Johansen last season, Nashville was criticized for giving up their future on the blueline, while Weber was stagnating in the top pairing.  This deal fixes that, and gives the Predators the best top-4 in the league: Subban, Josi, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis.

Snapshots: Subban, Kulikov, Fowler, Shattenkirk

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In advance of tonight’s first round of the draft, many prominent defensemen have seen their name involved in trade speculation in recent days.  Here is the latest on who may or may not be on the move.

The Latest On P.K. Subban

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The rumor mill has really picked up in recent days surrounding Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban.  The 27 year old has six years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $9MM per season.  Once July 1st hits, a full no-move clause kicks in which has brought this discussion to the forefront.

GM Marc Bergevin met the media late Thursday afternoon.  Here are some of the highlights from his scrum:

Bergevin noted that he has never shopped Subban but he “can’t prevent teams from calling” per TSN’s Frank Seravelli.  Also from Seravelli, Bergevin said that the conversations regarding Subban have been “pretty short”.  He also acknowledged that he is continuing to listen to offers regarding Subban, per Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette.  When asked point blank if it was realistic to think that Subban would be traded, his answer was a succinct “no” according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Here is some more buzz regarding Subban:

  • ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun confirms that the Canadiens have held talks with both the Oilers and Canucks but that there is still no indication that Bergevin actually has intentions of trading Subban or is just listening to see what’s out there.
  • Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos tweets that the asking price for Subban remains too high. He adds that the Canadiens are interested in moving up in the draft in order to secure Pierre-Luc Dubois.  We profiled Dubois earlier this week as part of our draft preview.
  • TSN’s Bob McKenzie believes that “Under the right circumstances, the Montreal Canadiens are prepared to trade P.K. Subban.” (Transcription via Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot.) He adds that the calls Bergevin has received are legitimate and past the tire-kicking stage.
  • Former NHL agent and GM Brian Lawton hears that the Oilers are very interested in Subban and are considering “a big ask that includes everyone not named (Connor) McDavid.”

Last season, Subban played in 68 games for Montreal, scoring six goals and 45 assists while averaging a career high 26:21 of ice time per night.  He finished 14th in Norris Trophy balloting for the NHL’s best defenseman.

LeBrun: Canadiens Fielding Calls For Subban

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted that the Canadiens are receiving a number of calls for defenseman P.K. Subban. The reasoning, LeBrun writes, is twofold. First, most teams are desperate for a top defenseman and the high motor Subban fits the bill. Second, Subban has a no-movement clause in his contract that kicks in on July 1. LeBrun also strongly indicated that the Canadiens are not actively shopping Subban at all. The volume of calls they have increased significantly in the last 48 hours.

LeBrun isn’t the only one reporting this, either. SportsNet’s Chris Johnston wrote this morning about how rumors are swirling but they don’t affect Subban at all.  In the article, Subban talked about how much he loves playing in Montreal and how his job is not to worry about rumors and instead, “prepare for the season.” Johnston adds that the 27-year-old defenseman posted his third consecutive 50+ point season and is a fan favorite in hockey mad Montreal. However, following a season where the Habs capitulated after losing all-world goalie Carey Price, Johnston cautions that anything is possible. He also adds that it would take a “mammoth offer” to pry Subban out of Montreal.

LeBrun’s ESPN colleague Craig Custance also indicated that the rumor mill has been “churning” with Subban’s name.

While the no-movement clause marries the Canadiens and Subban for another six seasons, it would be a mighty risk to move him to another team. Subban has yet to reach his prime years as a defenseman, and is considered one of the best defensemen in the league. Aside from costing a significant amount from a willing trading partner, it would take a top scoring forward and something else on the blue line to truly pique their interest. Losing Subban would weaken the Habs blue line, and while their lack of scoring would improve, the back end of the ice would take a hit.

Subban is owed $9MM through the 2021-2022 season after a bridge deal of $2.875MM was signed for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons.

Habs Notes: Andrighetto, Muller, Draft Pick

at CDT | by 1 Comment

After news broke that Montreal Canadiens inked Sven Andrighetto to a one-year, $650,000 dollar deal yesterday, details of the contract came fast and furious.  It’s a one-way deal that will see the forward reach arbitration next summer if he plays in at least 10 games this season. For the Canadiens, he represents the first of eight upcoming restricted free agents who played for their team this year.  With Andrighetto’s 17 points in 44 games, he was arguably the most important RFA they had; the trio of Darren Dietz, Joel Hanley and Mark Barberio on the back end look like the next priority.

More from the Habs:

  • After bringing Kirk Muller back as an associate coach earlier this month, the former Montreal great will again face criticism about his inability to speak French.  When asked if he thought a Montreal coach needed to be able to speak the language, legendary Hab Guy Lafleur responded: “To me it’s not the question of French, English, Russian or whatever. If you’re behind the bench, you have to do the job and you have to do it right, and make sure the players are playing at their potential and at their best.“
  • On the matter of P.K. Subban and his reported poor dressing room presence, Lafleur related a story: “I was right beside the dressing room one night with Yvan Cournoyer and P.K. was outside screaming and dangling, and Yvan looks at me and says: ‘It wouldn’t have worked out in our days. Somebody would have smacked him with a stick.'”  Though Subban continues to be brought up in trade scenarios, TSN’s Darren Dreger recently squashed some rumors, reporting one GM was told “flat out” that he would not be traded.
  • As noted this morning, Elliotte Friedman recently reported that the Canadiens are trying to move up from their slot at ninth overall in this year’s Entry Draft. Moving up to get a player like Pierre-Luc Dubois would surely ignite a fan base that had to suffer through a disappointing season after the injury to Carey Price.  Dubois could go as early as fourth in the draft, meaning that the Canadiens would have part with some big pieces to secure the Quebec native.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top