Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade for P.K Subban
By Josh Tessler
The Toronto Maple Leafs should look at the possibility of acquiring P.K. Subban.
Yesterday, Frank Seravalli of TSN posted a column with a list of the top 25 players who are likely to be mentioned in trade talks.
If you scroll through the post, you’ll see the Subban was mentioned as one of the top 25 players.
To be honest, it is surprising to see Subban on the list. He’s been highly touted across the NHL as one of the best two-way defensemen. In addition, he’s won several AHL and NHL awards including the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2013.
Just imagine if Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to land Subban via trade. They’d be acquiring an elite right handed defenseman. Subban is a monstrous defenseman. Last season with the Nashville Predators, he registered 16 goals, 43 assists, 25 PPP and a 51.2 CF%.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, if the Toronto Maple Leafs can acquire a stellar offensive defenseman then there is no need to replace James van Riemsdyk with another goal scorer. If they were able to score Subban in a deal, they would land a true offensive warrior that they can play on the blue line.
Where Would Subban Fit?
If Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Subban, they could plug him in on the top line with Morgan Rielly.
While the Rielly and Ron Hainsey combination wasn’t the worst pairing, it wasn’t a great one. Hainsey was solid when it came to special teams play, but he wasn’t great 5v5. In fact, he owned the lowest CF% of his career last year. It’s arguably time for a change before he moves to the infamous “Robidas Island”.
If Subban gets plugged into Hainsey’s spot, it would be an excellent fit. It would take pressure off of Rielly to be dominant in the offensive zone when playing 5v5. Rielly could focus more as being puck-mover and a true defensive specialist.
A lot of Maple Leafs fans would think I’m off my rocker as Rielly had a great offensive season last year. While he did, approximately 50% of his offensive success came on the power-play. So, it makes more sense for him to take some of the offensive pressure off his back when playing 5v5. With Subban at his side, the pressure on Rielly would be gone and the Maple Leafs would have one of the best top defensive lines in the NHL.
What Would Be The Cost?
Unfortunately, the cost for Subban would be very high. David Poile, the general manager for the Predators isn’t going to settle for Jackie Moon’s washing machine. He’s going to expect a big return. Poile likely will be seeking for some offensive assets after his Predators failed to get far into the playoffs.
If I had to guess, Poile is going to ask if William Nylander is available. To be honest, if the ask is that Nylander would be returning to Nashville, I would be hesitant. I don’t think they should do that, but if the Leafs could find a way to build a package out of smaller parts and draft picks, I’d be into it, even at a high cost.
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All-in-all, if the Predators aren’t asking for way too much, I’d be very supportive of trading for Subban. If the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t end up making a deal for Subban, it’s not the end of the world. There are plenty of elite defensemen being discussed in trade rumors including Dougie Hamilton of the Calgary Flames. So, don’t get frustrated with Dubas if he fails to bring in your favorite elite defenseman. Thankfully, there are many options.
stats from hockey-reference.com & NHL.com