The New Jersey Devils are looking to get instant success after taking Jack Hughes with the top overall pick in Friday's NHL Draft, but that selection isn't what gives the league that vibe. It's the trade they made less than 24 hours later, as the Devils acquired P.K. Subban from the Nashville Predators Saturday afternoon. The defenseman is heading to New Jersey in exchange for defenseman Steven Santini, prospect Jeremy Davies, and a second-round draft pick for this year and 2020. The Predators quickly used that second-round pick later on Saturday.
The 30-year-old All-Star sent out a video on social media on Saturday, thanking the Predators' organization and faithful for his time there. Subban spent three seasons with Nashville after being sent there from the Montreal Canadiens in a major trade that saw Shea Weber go to Montreal. That was in 2016, as Subban had spent his first seven NHL seasons north of the border, where he is from. His time in Nashville did include a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017, which is something he is forever grateful for.
The 2013 Norris Trophy winner was limited to just 63 games last season due to injuries, and he also saw his ice time drop to an average of 22:40 per night, this after averaging over 26 minutes per game from 2014 to 2016. He does have a $9 million salary cap hit on his contract, which was part of the reason the Predators parted ways after he finished with just nine goals and 22 assists in 2018-2019. All of these factors made this a good move for the Predators, who are now expected to be active in free agency, with their top target reportedly being Matt Duchene.
The Devils are hoping this trade will give them a boost after they missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season with just 72 points. That put them in last place in the Metropolitan Division, but they will now focus on re-signing Taylor Hall to partner with Subban. Their newest acquisition attempted to get the Devils' fan base excited, asking on social media if they were "ready for the Subbanator."
The 30-year-old All-Star sent out a video on social media on Saturday, thanking the Predators' organization and faithful for his time there. Subban spent three seasons with Nashville after being sent there from the Montreal Canadiens in a major trade that saw Shea Weber go to Montreal. That was in 2016, as Subban had spent his first seven NHL seasons north of the border, where he is from. His time in Nashville did include a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017, which is something he is forever grateful for.
The 2013 Norris Trophy winner was limited to just 63 games last season due to injuries, and he also saw his ice time drop to an average of 22:40 per night, this after averaging over 26 minutes per game from 2014 to 2016. He does have a $9 million salary cap hit on his contract, which was part of the reason the Predators parted ways after he finished with just nine goals and 22 assists in 2018-2019. All of these factors made this a good move for the Predators, who are now expected to be active in free agency, with their top target reportedly being Matt Duchene.
The Devils are hoping this trade will give them a boost after they missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season with just 72 points. That put them in last place in the Metropolitan Division, but they will now focus on re-signing Taylor Hall to partner with Subban. Their newest acquisition attempted to get the Devils' fan base excited, asking on social media if they were "ready for the Subbanator."
