Recently rumors started swirling around that both Boston and Toronto have shown interest in NJ Devils defenseman, PK Subban; however, I am a firm believer that any legitimate Cup contender needs to stay away from him.
While nobody can deny that the 2012-2013 Norris Trophy winner is talented, I think that he is a big distraction in the locker room and carries too high of a cap hit for what he can bring to the table.
Subban is carrying in a $9-million AAV heading in to the 2021-22 season and will be a UFA at the end of this year. That is a major overpayment for a guy who has not broken the 40-point mark in his last 3 seasons.
Last year, Subban finished with 5 goals and 14 assist in 44 games with New Jersey. While the Devils are a bad team, you expect a star player, especially one with a $9 million paycheck, to be able to do more than 19 points in 44 games.
On top of that, if you plan on re-signing Subban, you know he will not take a hometown discount or a team friendly deal, despite his stats showing a steady decline over the past few years. Based upon his personality and his “name”/brand, I believe that he will demand another decent sized contract and it will bite whatever team he goes to in the ass.
Subban’s always been a highlight reel, point scoring, offensive weapon from the backend; however, he does not possess those same defensive responsibilities that can help a team win or get over the playoff hump. He is not like Ryan Suter, who can age gracefully and still play well in to his mid-30’s. In Subban’s last 3 seasons, he has finished with a +/- of 5, -21, and -16 respectively. Is that someone you would trust to help defend your net in the playoffs? Especially if he is not generating the offense to make up for it?
Additionally, the hockey world is still behind the times when compared to most sports. Hockey players tend to give very robotic and almost “lifeless” interviews and the fans like that about them.
Fans do not want to see controversy erupting from their star players. Until recently, and it even takes a Stanley Cup celebration to get it out of them, the players very rarely showed emotion or like their names in the headlines. As I said, it took guys like Ovechkin and Kucherov winning the Stanley Cup to start breaking that mold.
This being said, it is common belief that his larger-than-life personality and desire to be in the spotlight have chased PK out of both Montreal and Nashville. It can definitely be a distraction for management, teammates, and coaches. I mean why else would either team trade a superstar in his prime (28 when going to Nashville and 30 when traded to NJD) without their being some type of problem?
Even Pittsburgh Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, made comments about how Subban loved the attention and loved being in the middle of it during their Stanley Cup battle.
If you recall, a few seasons ago, there was a slight controversy when PK was publicizing and launching his YouTube channel during a long losing streak. While it may have been harmless and was preplanned prior to the losing streak, imagine how that would look to teammates? Basically saying, “my YouTube publicity is more important that righting this losing streak”.
Also, please know that I am not saying PK is a bad guy or someone not to model your game after either. Subban has done more for the fans, communities, and charities in the markets he has played than any other player. This is just about his “over the top” personality when compared to other players in the league. I have nothing but respect for everything Subban has done for the game of hockey, local charities, etc.
It is not like he is Sean Avery taking shots at current players wives/girlfriends and being a complete douchebag. However, it is worth noting that PK comes across as worried more about his brand than his team.
So, in the end, while I do think Subban is a highly talented player, he will definitely be an overpayment for what you are getting and you are also running the risk of him being a distraction when it gets down to the playoffs. There will be many more players looking for a new team by the trade deadline and you can pick them up for half the money and a fraction of the baggage.
