Welcome to the Nashville Predators All-Time 25 in 25. In this series, we at The Hockey Writers will unveil the top 25 players in franchise history in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary. Starting Sept. 18, we will unveil a new player every day until the Predators’ home opener at Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 12. Join us along for the ride as we celebrate 25 years of hockey in Nashville. At 16—P. K. Subban.
Subban for Weber
The Predators and Montreal Canadiens shocked the hockey world in 2016. The one-for-one superstar swap featuring their respective defensive icons, Subban and Shea Weber, proved both clubs were unhappy with their lack of playoff success. The season before the trade, the Predators were coming off of a second-round exit at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. The Canadiens didn’t qualify for the 2016 NHL Playoffs.
Although the trade would eventually become a win-win for both teams, the Predators immediately succeeded in Subban’s first year. He scored 10 goals and 40 points in 66 games. In the 2017 NHL Playoffs, the organization made their first Stanley Cup Final. Despite their eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Subban played a vital role in their success. He scored 12 points in 22 games, providing elite-level defense. Subban and Mattias Ekholm’s pairing shut down the opposing stars they faced in the Western Conference, stifling the likes of Patrick Kane and Ryan Getzlaf, among others.
Subban’s Predators Career
Subban only played three seasons with the Predators. Although his time with the team is short, he added a new dynamic to the blue line. Following their Stanley Cup Final appearance, Subban flashed his skill in 2017-18. He scored a career-high 16 goals and notched 59 points while playing all 82 games. These offensive stats and excellent defensive play made him a finalist for the Norris Trophy, falling just behind Victor Hedman and Drew Doughty. He received NHL second All-Star Team honors and represented the Predators at the All-Star game. Subban’s 2017-18 season is among the most dominant in Predators history. While Predators lost in the second round of the 2018 postseason, Subban scored nine points in 13 playoff games.
Subban struggled in his third season with the Predators. His defensive play disappointed in comparison to the previous two. He only scored 31 points in 63 games. Overall in the Predators record book, Subban is tied for 32nd in points (130), 30th in assists (95), 46th in goals (35), and 59th in games played (211). Among defensemen, he is ninth in points and assists and tied for seventh in goals.
Predators Trade Subban
Following three seasons with the Predators, the third of which saw Subban struggle mightily, the organization shipped him off to the New Jersey Devils at the 2019 NHL Draft. The trade served more as a cap dump than anything else. At the time, the Predators were eying down pending free agent Matt Duchene, but they needed to dump salary to sign him or any other big-name free agent. Subban carried an annual cap hit of $9 million, which wouldn’t expire until after the 2021-22 season. With a defense corps featuring Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan Ellis, Subban became expendable.
Ultimately, the Predators traded Subban to the Devils for Steven Santini, Jeremy Davies, a 2019 second-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick. Subban would play three seasons for the Devils before retiring from the NHL. The Predators would sign Duchene in free agency with the newfound cap space.
Related: Predators’ Top 25 Players of All-Time: Matt Duchene
The Predators only held onto Subban for three seasons following the blockbuster trade in 2016. Eyeing down a new star player in Duchene, they traded the Subban for cap space. While his time with the organization was short, he had one of the most dominant two-season runs in team history. He helped the Predators exorcise their second-round demons, while his 2017-18 season is one of the best by a player in the franchise’s 25-year history.
