The Montreal Canadiens are reportedly “gauging the market” on a trade involving star defenseman P.K. Subban, according to TVA’s Louis Jean.
Jean confirms that there’s no indication of whether or not these conversations are serious, but that Montreal is at least exploring what they could get in return.
This parody of Montreal’s organizational problems comes just days after coach Michel Therrien laid the blame of a loss to Colorado at Subban’s feet. Subban gets the blame for activating into the offensive zone to score a goal in a tied game. On the play he lost an edge and fell, leading to a game-winning goal by Jarome Iginla.
The outcry against Therrien came quickly. Blaming a star player for losses when the team is in the middle of a historic collapse sounds like a coach who has lost the room, become defensive and is, more broadly speaking, out of ideas on how to save the season.
Shopping Subban is doubling down when you’re wrong the first time.
“Are you sure Spalding Gray wrote Cat in the Hat?”
“Yes.”
“I’m pretty sure it was Dr. Seuss. I read it to my daughter almost every night.”
[glances at phone] “Nope. I just looked it up. It’s definitely Spalding Gray. I’d bet my life on it.”
It’s hard to believe this could be true, but if the Canadiens are looking at what they can get in return for Subban, there would appear to be significant evidence that general manager Marc Bergevin doesn’t believe that Therrien is the problem.
However, part of the exploration may simply be that it’s the team’s last chance to look at what they could get for Subban. The actual cash on his very large contract is $7 million this season and will jump to $11 million on Jul. 1, the same date his no trade clause kicks in.
UPDATE:
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Friday afternoon that Subban “isn’t going anywhere.” Dreger refutes the earlier report in no uncertain terms.
He’s not being shopped and the Habs aren’t calling around to see if there’s a market for the $9 million dollar star. And if calls are being received from rival GMs hoping to loot the train wreck that’s the Canadiens’ season, Marc Bergevin isn’t listening.
RELATED: Mistakes by Therrien, Not Subban are Costing Canadiens
