When the Montreal Canadiens traded P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber in 2016, the trade was widely regarded as a reasonable one, even if most could agree that the Preds emerged winners.
The two years since then, however, have only cemented that perception. Part of that has been out of the Habs’ control — Weber has been absolutely hounded by injuries — but that can’t make it any easier to watch Subban bloom into a runner-up for the Norris Trophy last season.
This comparison really throws things into stark contrast.
Considering that Weber hasn’t played yet this season and was initially ruled to miss five-to-six months dating back to July, there’s time for this divide to deepen. It isn’t just about totals, either — Subban has mustered 110 points in 163 games with Nashville (0.67 points per game), which tops Weber’s 58 in 104 (0.56).
Of course, this wasn’t wholly unexpected for fans, because even at the time of the trade, there were some reservations about trading a player entering his prime for one soon to be in decline. Subban has become widely adored around the league, even covering this year’s NHL 19 — although he ranks lower among all-time cover athletes than we would’ve guessed.
