NHL 2015-2016: Expansion! 3 on 3 OT! Coaches Challenge!

[Pav]

I'm so effing confused by the Subban/Weber trade. Two teams just directly swapped top-dollar all-star right-shooting defencemen. Can someone explain to benefits of either side to me? Mostly Montreal's side, as isn't Shea Weber 5 years older and way more expensive?

Also, in googling facts about each player, I found it amusing that this was one of the first links at the top of the page: Why the P.K. Subban trade may be the worst in Canadiens history - Sportsnet.ca

 

[AdamMaz]

I'm so effing confused by the Subban/Weber trade. Two teams just directly swapped top-dollar all-star right-shooting defencemen. Can someone explain to benefits of either side to me? Mostly Montreal's side, as isn't Shea Weber 5 years older and way more expensive?

Weber's cap hit is just below $8 million/year. He is a more reliable player that plays a much more physical game and has a reputation as one of the best captains in the league.

Subban is a much more dynamic player with the puck and his skating; an offensive-minded defensemen.

Weber fits the style of play that coach Therrien likes to play and I imagine Nashville wants to continue becoming a more offensively-skilled team.

 

[Pav]

I still don't get it. Shea Weber is past age 30 and it's safe to assume he's only going to decline from here, not to mention he's signed until he's at least 40. I could respect the notion that he's one of the best captains in the league if that wasn't a completely subjective topic with zero ways to actually gauge the quality of his captaincy. Weber's teams have never advanced past round 2 in the playoffs and his lasting legacy involves smashing Henrik Zetterberg's head into the glass in frustration.

On the other hand, PK Subban is 27 and just now getting to the prime of his career. He's far more fun to watch, he's made it to the conference finals twice, he actually seems to make his teammates around him look better (which Weber does not), and his lasting legacy includes highlight-reel plays and a momumental donation to a children's hospital. Not to mention if you compare advanced stats, Shea Weber is nowhere near PK Subban in virtually any category at all.

I can only draw two reasonable conclusions from this: Michel Therrien really didn't care for Subban and the coach got his way, plus apparently Shea Weber is on one of the most ludicrously front-loaded contracts in the NHL and the Habs aren't going to be paying anywhere near what his cap hit suggests. So they traded away an exciting player with a bright future for a less effective player with a fading future and a lower salary. I'm sorry, but Marc Bergevin ....ed up badly on this one.

 

[technomancer]

Subban is 27 and Weber is 30 so the age difference isn't THAT much. Weber is also one of the best defensive defensemen in the league. I also suspect relations in the locker room and behind the scenes were a large part of this. Bottom line is it really seems like Subban pissed off his coach and management so they got rid of him.

 

[RustInPeace]

 

[Pav]

Subban is 27 and Weber is 30 so the age difference isn't THAT much. Weber is also one of the best defensive defensemen in the league. I also suspect relations in the locker room and behind the scenes were a large part of this. Bottom line is it really seems like Subban pissed off his coach and management so they got rid of him.

I think it has to be some kind of locker room or management relations thing. Therrien has publicly singled out Subban before so it doesn't seem like a stretch that the coach wanted someone a little more suited to his style. However, I won't deny some bias on the topic because for years I've thought Shea Weber was one of the league's more overrated defensemen. He's strong as hell with an insane slapshot but IMO he was never worth the fortune that the Flyers instigated. I think he benefited greatly from being the best player on the Predators for most of his time there but that skill gap is finally starting to narrow.

Now comes the part where Shea Weber puts up 80 points in Montreal this year, wins the Norris and makes me look like a dumbass.

 

[technomancer]

Now comes the part where Shea Weber puts up 80 points in Montreal this year, wins the Norris and makes me look like a dumbass.

Glad to see you understand how these things work

 

[AdamMaz]

Now comes the part where Shea Weber puts up 80 points in Montreal this year, wins the Norris and makes me look like a dumbass.

Don't forget the Stanley Cup!

 

[MFB]

You might wanna tell the Habs not to forget the cup either, they might not remember what it looks like

 

[protest]

This is what happens when you let the villains win the cup. Chaos reigns.

 

[Pav]

So much free agency fun happening!

Ben Lovejoy is now signed with the Devils for three years. Hopefully he's getting paid as well as he should be. He really played his way into my heart this past postseason.

And Milan Lucic finally signed his much-rumored contract, he's an Oiler for the next 7 years. I think there's going to be a fair bit of pressure put on Adam Larsson to very quickly stabilize their defense. Hopefully the kid is up to it after one good season.

The Buffalo Sabres also signed Kyle Okposo to an enormous contract, David Backes has signed with the Bruins and Eric Staal has accepted 3 years of disappointment in Minnesota.

 

[AdamMaz]

Looking at Bob McKenzie's twitter feed, he is surprisingly very off today

 

[Pav]

And the Habs just signed Alexander Radulov...

 

[AdamMaz]

And the Habs just signed Alexander Radulov...

I see one of two things:

1. A last resort signing, Semin part 2.

2. I wonder if Weber's presence made the team attractive to Radulov? Seems like the Habs may have been conscious of this when they got Weber; Radulov was nowhere to be heard of leading up to today and when it did surface, it seemed like it was already pending exclusively with the Habs.

 

[technomancer]

Wow watching the In The Room from the Cup run... the Sharks goalie really was unbelievable

EDIT: also Warsofsky is back in Pittsburgh

 

[AdamMaz]

Panther's D Eckblad only two years into the NHL already has himself an 8 year/$60m contract, jesus.

On a similar note Hedman is good, but $7.8m/year good?

 

[technomancer]

Free agent salaries have been insane for a while

I'm still amazed Stamkos only got $8.5 million

 

[Pav]

Panther's D Eckblad only two years into the NHL already has himself an 8 year/$60m contract, jesus.

On a similar note Hedman is good, but $7.8m/year good?

Not at the moment, but his numbers have been trending upward for a few years and presumably Tampa expects him to blossom into the next Zdeno Chara.

 

[MFB]

Panther's D Eckblad only two years into the NHL already has himself an 8 year/$60m contract, jesus.

On a similar note Hedman is good, but $7.8m/year good?

Go him.

I wish the Bruins had tried to snag him as our new D-man, he played well last season, but given our history of trading (aka getting fleeced) it would've cost us half the time to Florida

 

[RustInPeace]

Finally some toughness up front