Nashville Predators Subban Trade: PredLines Reactions
The Nashville Predators made what was probably the biggest trade in their history.
When the Nashville Predators traded Shea Weber for P.K. Subban it rocked the NHL world. On a larger scale than the big trade, Nashville Predators GM David Poile did last season with the Seth Jones for Ryan Johansen. And that was after the Patric Hornqvist for James Neal trade.
David Poile sure isn’t afraid to pull the trigger and we can hardly wait to see his next move. We saw comments from Worst Trade Ever for Canadians to Good Trade for Both Teams. More of the first than the latter.
The PredLines Staff has had a day to think and argue a bit about the trade so we are putting our thoughts out there for you as a staff:
Doug Praskach: The Nashville Predators may have made the move that puts them in the true running for the Stanley Cup. I was as shocked as anyone when I heard about Weber being traded. However, I have been calling for an increase in the speed of the Preds since the end of the Stanley Cup Finals.
There were two players that really held that extra speed down…Shea Weber and Barett Jackman. In two days they are both gone and speedy P.K. Subban joins the team. Wow! I truly believe that Poile will bring another fast defenseman and a winger to the team. That could be Fiala.
The Penguins added speedy Carl Hagelin, a winger that had never scored more than 17 goals to their team and the rest, as they say, is history. The same thing could happen to the Preds.
Zachary Elrod: Shea Weber was supposed to be the first Nashville Predator to lift the Stanley Cup. He was also supposed to be the first to have his number retired. He was our leader, our franchise, and most importantly our Captain.
Even though Nashville has lost their heart and soul, they have gained one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Pernell Karl “P.K.” Subban has won the Norris, been selected to the All-Star Game twice and won a Gold Medal alongside Shea in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. P.K. has the ability to score from anywhere on the ice as well the athleticism to deke and juke out defenders like Roman Josi.
I personally do not think this trade was bad for Nashville. Nashville hit a grandslam with this trade. Shea Weber was an amazing Captain and player but P.K. is younger and has the ability to do stuff better than Weber. Nashville is on a roll and may continue that during Free Agency.
Chance Humphrey: I’m going to miss the excitement of watching Shea Weber wind up for his ‘Boomstick’ slapshot, and I think all Predators fans should be feeling a pang of loss in their guts with the departure of the Captain. But the P. K. Subban trade puts an exclamation mark on the new era of Predators hockey.
The team is setting attendance records, achieving all-time heights in popularity, and driving further into the postseason than ever before. Putting Subban, one of the most popular players in the league, in a gold jersey only steers that arrow straight up.
Consider the Trotz era officially history. The Nashville Predators are ready to command the league’s respect.
Lincoln Vamos: It’s certainly a style change-up. Shea Weber is one of the last hold-outs of big, mean defensemen. The new style is quick puck-movers and PK Subban might be the best rushing defenseman in the world.
I am slightly concerned that a Josi/Subban pairing will be too much offense and not enough responsibility… Time will tell. This was a business move. While Shea was a great leader and player, David Poile sold high and did not wait for his value to depreciate. Subban is younger and faster, and possibly more suited to Peter Laviolette‘s style as well. This move opened Nashville’Stanley Cup window even wider.
Next: Four More Thoughts
More Great Reaction
Charles Chesnutt: Bittersweet. Shea was the face of the franchise to me and represented everything I love about the Predators. From the punishing checks to the unforgiving slapshots, both of which were belied by the Captain’s strong and silent persona, Shea Weber is truly one of a kind and has been a joy to watch in Nashville for years.
That being said I love this trade and I have to hand it to Dave Poile for having the audacity to pull the trigger and make this move knowing full well what Weber meant to the team and the fans in an effort to make our team better. We’re younger, faster, and more talented than ever before and the future looks bright in Nashville. In Poile we trust.
Marcus Young: After speaking to not only friends and family who loved Shea, I can say without a doubt that this stings a bit. Obviously, we lost not only a great Predator, but we lost our Captain and we lost a great human being. Weber was one of the greatest players to come through this organization and his contributions on the ice will never be forgotten. His hardest shot, his
His hardest shot, his overtime-forcing goal that led to our first EVER playoff series win against Anaheim 2011, and his playoff beard. Never forget. Weber was a huge community guy too with the 365 Foundation and he’ll be missed for his contributions off the ice as well as on it.
But Nashville, get excited. P.K. Subban is young, energetic, and he’s a Super Star. Subban is one of the faces of the NHL and now he joins the Preds and not only makes us a better team, but he helps put The Nashville brand and name out there to the rest of the league. P.K. is also a huge community guy. He donated $10 million to the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
The positives outweigh the negatives in this trade, and even though it stings, just know that we added a huge piece to our franchise’s future. Au Revoir Capitaine and Welcome P.K. Subban! Howwddyy!!
Benjamin Nixon: “O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done…” The poem written by Walt Witman about the death of Abraham Lincoln rings true the day after the blockbuster trade between the Predators and Canadiens took place.No, Shea Weber is not dead, but the Nashville Predators lost a momentous amount of leadership with his departure.
At first glance, I absolutely hated the trade because of the debatable reputation that Subban has developed outside of his hockey talents as I’m not sure if that’s something that I want the Nashville Predators be exposed to.
But ultimately,the major reason that eases the sting of losing Weber is the gain that comes with PK Subban. He’s younger, faster, and brings a creative offensive approach as far as it goes for Dmen. All we can do now is say thank you to Weber, hello to Subban, and wait patiently for the hockey season to start up again. Oh yeah, don’t forget to circle Jan. 3rd on your calendars folks.
Shelby Prendergast: If you had come up to me a few months ago and told me Nashville was trading Shea Weber, I would have said you’re crazy. You get lulled into a false sense of security when you see a C on a jersey. “Oh, he’ll never get traded, he’s our leader.” You develop tunnel vision. You only see what that C is doing through rose tinted glasses. The grass couldn’t possibly be greener on the other side.
The grass is greener. We have secured a young talent that will hopefully help carry the team into a new era – a Cup winning era. While we were blindsided by this trade, Habs fans were utterly devastated. Their reaction alone should quell some of our knee-jerk reactions. Subban is going to be a fantastic addition to the Preds. It’s a bittersweet thought, but Shea can rest easy knowing that he has helped create a fantastic team. I’m sad to see him go, but I’m glad we had him for so long. I’m also excited to see where Subban can take us.
Next: Preds Free Agency Rumors
We heard an explanation on Twitter from Frank the Turtle: It’s kinda like when your old childhood dog dies. Then you get a new puppy. Very sad but very exciting.