Montreal Canadiens

Subban continues to make Habs fans wonder "What if?"
May 8, 2017, 3:25 PM ET [248 Comments]
Jennifer B Cutler
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When P.K. Subban was infamously traded for Shea Weber on June 29th 2016, he stated that he felt “a whole lot closer” to winning the Stanley Cup with the Nashville Predators compared to the Montreal Canadiens. For now he will have the last laugh as he has backed up those words and then some as Subban’s Predators became the first team into the 2017 Stanley Cup Conference Finals in 2017, leaving Canadiens fans to wonder what might have been had their beloved defenseman never been traded away.

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin took a risk and gambled when he traded away Subban in return for Weber. The two All-Stars play a completely different style of game and so to compare them is not an easy thing to do. Skill versus leadership. Physical presence vs. skating. What it came down to was that for Bergevin, Subban was never his type of player. He was not someone that he wanted to go into a foxhole with.

Bergevin inherited Subban when he was hired five years ago and the relationship got off to a rocky start right from the get go when Subban finished his entry level contract and held out to start the shortened 2012-2013 lockout season. When it came to rewarding Subban the second time he became a restricted free agent the two sides went to arbitration and Bergevin only caved when owner Geoff Molson stepped in and interfered.

It could have been different for Subban in Montreal had Bergevin surrounded him properly. Coaches Michel Therrien and J.J. Daigneault were insistent on changing Subban’s game rather than work with and fine tune him. A veteran and mentor such as former Canadiens defenseman Hal Gill played a significant role in Subban’s early NHL career but that type of voice was never really replaced on the roster. When the Canadiens floundered in 2015-2016 the rumours of constant friction in the locker room between Subban and other players were always floating in the air. Bergevin badly misjudged his players and leadership by not having an outspoken veteran presence in the room. Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec may be well-respected and examples of how to act on and off the ice but they are quiet leaders. Not the ones to rally the troops or keep the peace. And so Subban became the scapegoat despite being one of the few players to show up each and every night that he played in his last season as a Canadiens.

The fit in Nashville could not have been any better for Subban. He is part of the solution, not the problem. He is surrounded by strong leadership and is encouraged to be himself. The coaching staff of Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley work with Subban and depend on him to shut down their opposition’s best as well as contribute offensively which he has done with one goal and six assists through ten playoff games. The Predators top four defensemen are arguably the NHL’s best with a 1A and 1B pairing. Subban has embraced the city of Nashville and they have returned the love. The Predators home games are a must-see affair. By all accounts their in game entertainment is second to none. In other words, they get it. This non-traditional hockey market is giving the rest of the league a lesson on how it is done.

Canadiens fans are now openly cheering on Subban and the Predators this postseason. Subban has always had a knack for stepping up and finding another gear come the playoffs and this year is no different. The second round of the playoffs were perhaps his true coming out party to the city of Nashville as he struggled with injuries earlier in the regular season. Now it is Nashville that is enjoying their deepest playoff run in franchise history while the longest Canadiens Stanley Cup drought continues.

Perhaps it is not fair to Weber to play revisionist history. It is not his fault that Subban was traded for him. This past season Weber was an absolute stalwart on the Canadiens backend, logging big minutes night in and night out. He contributed a solid 17 goals and 25 assists over the course of the season while his leadership helped take a little of the pressure off of Max Pacioretty’s shoulders. The trade was ‘supposed’ to favor Montreal in the early years while Weber is on the right side of 35 while long term the Predators would likely win the trade due to Subban’s younger age and less mileage on the body.

The Canadiens do not have history on their side for returns when they trade their star players. The Patrick Roy trade likely set the franchise back for decades. Chris Chelios was traded as he was entering his prime. The longer Subban helps lead the Predators in the playoffs, the worst Bergevin continues to look for trading him. While Bergevin felt it was a trade he had to make in order to fit his vision of a team, the questions and comparisons will only continue to follow until if and when the Canadiens raise a 25th Stanley Cup. In the meantime, the Subban jerseys and t shirts be it in Canadiens or Predators colors continue to be worn proudly in and around Montreal...

Cheers and follow along!