The trade of a lifetime.... A captain with years under his belt and a fresh face with a family title. An NHL trade to make the crowd go wild. On Wednesday, June 26, the Nashville Predators caught the deal of a lifetime with their beloved captain, Shea Weber. The Montreal Canadians made a debatable trade of a star player, P.K. Subban. The trade was announced and uproar rose amongst all NHL fans who learned the seasoned player was traded over for an electrifying defenseman. The question is: Why?
Montreal released a response stating " Subban trade shouldn't be surprising." The current Montreal general manager followed with the explanation that Subban's personality and popularity just didn't fit the Canadiens' approach to the game. The Canadiens' GM saw last minute opportunity to take Weber two days before a no-movement clause in his contract went into effect. But from a non-Canadiens' nor Predators approach this may have been a mistake trade to Montreal and a win for Nashville.To better understand the quality of this trade and its benefits/disadvantages of this trade, here is a look at what the pro and cons of this trade are.
Pros:
The most obvious pro for Nashville is that they are gaining a younger talent who has not yet reached his prime and will continue to stun fans with his electric play. Subban has been a player known to wear his heart on his sleeve while playing, as he is a truly passionate hockey player which will create a much stronger, tight-knit team for Nashville as his personality brings his teammates together. He is one of the most dynamic defensemen in all of the NHL and is able to bring his game to another level game and game out. He can stun fans with his masterful moves and puck control or can play the role of shutdown defense. Subban will be a force to be reckoned with on an up and coming hockey team in the Predators. Montreal, on the other hand, is gaining a very established leader in Weber who has shown he can lead his team in very big games. His physicality is something that players across the league know that he will use to force his will in a game. This allows for him to then make his mark in the game, whether it be a goal that puts his team up or a game saving shutdown of an opposing team rush. He brings his cannon of a slapshot, which has clocked in at 108.5 MPH, to the blueline to a team that sometimes struggles to score goals. Weber will show the Montreal fans that he can bolster the Canadians’ defense.
Cons:
While this trade can benefit both teams in some way, there are some obvious problems involved. Nashville is losing a loyal and stern captain in Weber. His presence will be missed in the Predator locker room and his leadership on the ice may cause some chemistry issues at first. With the addition of Subban, Nashville is also gaining his salary of $9 million a year till the 2021-2022 season which could cause restraints on adding other pieces on their quest for a cup. Now the real cons to this trade standout for the Montreal Canadiens. It made no sense for them to trade an amazing player in Subban for an older player of almost identical talent in Weber. Weber is 30 years old and although should be able to continue his great play for a few more years, not regarding possible injuries, he is at his peak of play based on other players around his age. He will most likely not get any better compared to the younger Subban, who has nowhere to go but up. With the type of player that Subban is, Montreal could have easily gotten much more out of this trade, even if it had just been a draft pick. In the end, it appears that Montreal lost this trade in the long run, but that is yet to be seen indefinitely.
Despite the pros and cons of this trade, both parties seem to be content with their decisions and we can only see the outcome in the 2016-2017 season. Maybe Nashville Predators or Montreal Canadiens will take home the Stanley Cup.
Goodbye from Smashville Shea........May the odds be ever in your favor, Goodbye from Montreal P.K..............At the 2017 Stanley Cup.
